Amal Abu Sbeitan, a feminist activist in Gaza who works with the Palestinian Working Women’s Association for Development, has bee on hunger strike for 10 days in solidarity with the open hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners since April 17, as reported by Ma’an. Abu Sbeitan, of Deir al-Balah camp in the Gaza Strip, has three children and is deeply involved in organizing marches and solidarity tents with the prisoners, seeking to organize other women to build solidarity with the prisoners. She said that her strike was to protest the silence and weakness of official and public support of the prisoners’ struggle.
Abu Sbeitan said that she will continue her open hunger strike alongside the prisoners and called for action in all international forums, saying that Israel spent millions of dollars advocating for Gilad Shalit, while we have nameless thousands of prisoners who are unknown. “We must promote them and their cause everywhere in the world,” she said, “particularly Western media where little is known.”
