Several Palestinian prisoners are continuing their hunger strikes for freedom as of Monday, 30 October. Hassan Shokeh, 29, of Bethlehem, has been on hunger strike for 20 days against his imprisonment without charge or trial under Israeli administrative detention.
Shokeh was detained by occupation forces on 29 September, less than a month after he was released from his prior imprisonment on 31 August. He has spent several years in Israeli prison under administrative detention and on charges of membership in Islamic Jihad.
Bilal Diab, 32, from Kafr Ra’i near Jenin, has been on hunger strike for 14 days against his own administrative detention without charge or trial. Jailed since 14 July, Diab has been repeatedly seized by the Israeli occupation. He conducted a 78-day hunger strike alongside fellow detainee Thaer Halahleh in 2012 to win his freedom. His strike was sparked after his appeal for his freedom was denied on 17 October; the next hearing in his case is scheduled on 30 November.
In addition, reports were released in the past day that a third prisoner has also been on hunger strike for 14 days, Hamza Marwan Bouzia, 27, of Kifl Hares near Salfit. A former prisoner who served over seven years in Israeli prisons, he has also been subject to re-arrest by occupation forces and ordered to administrative detention without charge or trial.
Also joining the hunger strike is Mosab Said, 28, from Bir Zeit, on hunger strike demanding his return to Megiddo prison after he was transferred; he launched a hunger strike five days ago, after Israeli occupation authorities violated an agreement to transfer him. He has been detained since 12 March and is a journalist and media activist as well as a former prisoner.
Palestinian lawyer Karim Ajwa warned about the deterioration of Diab’s health after a visit with the striking prisoner, held in isolation in Ashkelon prison. Diab is suffering from abdominal pain, joint pain and pain in his ear and head; he is refusing medical examinations by his jailers. He also told his lawyer that he was transferred on Sunday from one cell to another with worse conditions: a wet, torn mattress with one blanket, a constant fan on the door that blows despite the cold, and filthy conditions. He also noted that there are daily “inspections” in which guards repeatedly invade the cell in order to put more pressure on his strike. Ajwa confirmed that Diab is dedicated to continuing his hunger strike to win his freedom.
