The Palestinian Prisoners’ Affairs Commission reported on Monday, 11 April that Eyad Fawaghra has been on hunger strike for 30 days. His hunger strike had not been previously reported and he joins several other Palestinian prisoners engaged in open hunger strikes against administrative detention, isolation and repression within Israeli prisons.
Fawaghra, from Bethlehem, is on hunger strike to protest the denial of family visits, specifically visits from his mother and brother. He is refusing to take vitamins or supplements, and Eshel prison is withholding migraine pain medication if he refuses to consume food. His clothing and blankets have also been confiscated by the prison administration, reported the commission.
He joins several other prisoners engaged in hunger strikes, including Sami Janazrah, 43, a Palestinian refugee from Al-Fuwwar camp near al-Khalil, who has been on hunger strike for over 40 days, since 3 March; Adib Mafarja, from Beit Laqiya near Ramallah, who has been on hunger strike for 11 days, and Fuad Assi, who has also been on hunger strike for 11 days. All are demanding an end to their administrative detention without charge or trial. Janazrah, Assi and Mafarja are being held in solitary confinement – Janazrah Assi in the Naqab prison and Mafarja in Beersheba.
Shukri Khawaja also launched a hunger strike on Sunday, 10 April, demanding an end to his solitary confinement. 15 prisoners in Ofer prison returned their meals on Monday, 11 April and Tuesday, 12 April, in solidarity with Khawaja, who has been held in isolation for over 16 months. 10 prisoners in Eshel prison and 10 more from Nafha prison also returned their meals on Tuesday, 12 April in support of Khawaja; Palestinian prisoners affiliated with Hamas throughout the prisons have stated they will launch an open hunger strike if Khawaja is not returned to general population.
