Two Palestinian prisoners launched new hunger strikes today, as four more Palestinian prisoners are continuing to refuse food in the middle of their second week of hunger strike, two in protest of Israeli administrative detention without charge or trial and two in protest of arbitrary transfers and isolation.
Majd Hassan Abu Shamla, 24, from Ya’bad, and Hassan Ali Rubayah, 31, from Maythaloun – both near Jenin – launched their hunger strike on Thursday, 6 October in protest of their administrative detention without charge or trial. Abu Shamla has been imprisoned since 27 January 2016 and Rubayah since 31 March 2016. Both are held in the Negev desert prison.
Anas Shadid, 19 and Ahmad Abu Fara, 29, were moved to the Ramleh prison clinic today, their twelfth day of hunger strike, from Ofer prison, where both are held under six-month administrative detention orders, issued on the basis of “secret evidence”. Shadid has been imprisoned since 1 August and Abu Fara since 8 August. Both are from villages near al-Khalil – Shadid from Dura and Abu Fara from Surif.
Maher Abayat was moved to isolation in Ayla prison from Ashkelon prison today. He has been on hunger strike alongside Jawad Jawarish for 11 days in protest of isolation and forced transfers of Palestinian prisoners. Jawarish is currently held in siolation in Ashkelon prison.
As the hunger strike protests among Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails grow, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network urges international solidarity events and actions in support of these prisoners’ struggle for freedom, and for the freedom of all 7,000 Palestinian prisoners behind bars – and the Palestinian people and land as a whole.
