The Palestinian Ministry of Detainees has reported that seven Palestinian detainees are currently holding open-ended hunger strikes in Israeli detention facilities, and that some of them are facing very serious health issues and complications.The Palestinian Ministry of Detainees said that detainees Akram Al-Faseesy, Waheed Abu Maria, legislator Yasser Mansour, and Bilal Abdul-Aziz are striking to protest their arbitrary illegitimate Administrative Detention without charges or trial.
The Ministry added that detainee Abdul-Majid Khdeirat is striking to protest being arrested after his release under the Shalit prisoner swap deal, and detainee Yousef Nawaj’a is striking to demand urgently needed medical attention.
Detainee Moammar Banat, along with detainee Al-Faseesy, started their hunger strike on January 9, 2014, after being forced into solitary confinement at the Ofer Israeli military detention center.
They are being held under very difficult conditions; their clothes were confiscated, and each cold cell only includes one mattress and two blankets.
Abu Maria said that the detainees are frequently harassed, repeatedly searched and assaulted in an attempt to force them to quit their strikes, and that the army is blackmailing them by offering them medical attention in exchange for ending their hunger strike.
Detained Legislator, Yasser Mansour, started his hunger strike on January 16, 2014, while detainee Bilal Abdul-Aziz started his strike on January 22; both were moved to the Negev Detention camp, and are demanding an end to their administrative detention.
Detainee Abdul-Majid Khdeirat started his strike on the day of his arrest, on January 15, as he could be facing eight years imprisonment.
The Ministry said that detainee Yousef Nawaj’a started his strike on January 19, demanding to receive the urgently needed medical attention and care, as he suffers with Paraplegia and several health complications.
In related news, lawyer Ibrahim Al-‘Araj of the Ministry of Detainees, said that detainee Miqdad Ahmaro, 18 years of age, is suffering from a degenerative bone disease that is severely impacting his ability to walk.
