By Anees Bargouthi

RAMALLAH, Palestine

At least 120 Palestinians in Israeli jails have begun an open-ended hunger strike to demand the release of three fellow prisoners who continue to languish in "administrative dentition", the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)'s committee on detainees said Tuesday.

In a statement, the committee said that 120 Palestinian prisoners in jails throughout Israel had begun refusing food to demand the release of three fellow inmates -- Mohamed Balboul, 25; Mahmoud Balboul, 22; and Malek al-Qadi, 19 -- and an end to Israel’s longstanding policy of administrative dentition.

Committee head Issa Qaraqe told Anadolu Agency that the three imprisoned Palestinians were suffering from rapidly deteriorating health.

"They are suffering chest pains, muscle cramps, increased body temperature and frequent loss of consciousness," he said.

Mohamed Balboul began his own hunger strike 78 days ago to protest his ongoing detention without charge or trial. His brother Mahmoud joined him three days later.

Malek al-Qadi, for his part, is now in his 67th day of hunger strike.

Earlier this month, the trio rejected an Israeli Supreme Court decision to "temporarily" suspend their administrative detention, vowing to continue their hunger strikes until the administrative detention orders issued against them were permanently overturned.

Under Israel's administrative detention policy, prisoners can be held for up to one year without charge or trial.

According to official Palestinian figures, there are over 7,000 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, roughly 700 of whom are being held in administrative detention.