JERUSALEM
Israel's parliament on Thursday approved a draft law which allows force-feeding of Palestinians on hunger strike in Israeli prisons.
In a statement, the Knesset said that 46 members voted in favor of the draft law and 40 voted against it. The law stipulates that the Israeli authorities have the ability to force-feed Palestinian prisoners in life-threatening cases.
"The approval of such a law shows racism and brutality in the Israeli government," Issa Qaraqe, head of the Detainees Committee at the Palestinian Affairs Authority, told Anadolu Agency. "The Israeli government believes that it is above the law by approving laws against the Geneva convention and international humanitarian law."
Arab-Israeli lawmaker Ahmed Tibi said that hunger strikes are a non-violent tool practiced by prisoners in order to pursue "legal and political achievements."
"It is the only thing Palestinian prisoners feel can be done in Israeli prisons," he added.
Over 6,500 Palestinians are currently languishing in prisons throughout Israel, according to official Palestinian figures.
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