25 March 2017•Update: 26 March 2017
RAMALLAH, Palestine
The Palestinian Fatah movement announced that its members imprisoned in Israeli jails will launch a massive open-ended hunger strike on April 17, according to a statement released by the movement on Friday.
The hunger strike will be led by the group's central committee member Marwan al-Barghouti, it said
Al-Barghouthi, according to the statement, encouraged the group's imprisoned member to maintain unity during hunger strike.
"I call upon all the national and popular organizations and activists at all levels to support the prisoners' case in their hunger strike," Marawan al-Barghouthi said.
According to the statement, the hunger strike will be launched to demand the resumption of visits for Palestinian prisonners, which were halted by the International Committee of the Red Cross last year.
Other demands pertain to medical care and transportation as well as the treatment of female prisoners
The statement also calls for the immediate release of Palestinian prisoners who are sick or suffering from disabilities.
The hunger strike which will be launched on April 17, coincides with the anniversary of Palestinian Prisoners Day, which has been commemorated annually since 1974, after the first Palestinian detainee -- Mahmoud Hijazi -- was released in the first swap deal with Israel.
According to official Palestinian figures, over 7,000 Palestinians are currently languishing in Israeli prisons, roughly 700 of whom are being held in administrative detention.
