Palestinians stage hunger strike to protest Israel’s detention policy

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Seven Palestinian inmates in Israeli prisons have staged a hunger strike to protest their detention without trial, a Palestinian NGO said on Monday.

In a statement, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said the detainees include two who are being hospitalized.

"The [Israeli] occupation continues its intransigence and refusal to respond to their demand of ending their administrative detention, in an attempt to bring the striking prisoners to a difficult and dangerous health stage," the NGO said.

The policy of administrative detention allows Israeli authorities to extend the detention of a prisoner without charge or trial.

There are around 4,850 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons, including 520 administrative detainees, according to institutions concerned with prisoners’ affairs.

*Writing by Mahmoud Barakat