As Palestinian prisoners enter their fourth week of hunger strike, the national committee to support the strike issued a statement urging serious and escalated action in support of their protest, including strikes, full boycott of Israeli goods and civil disobedience. Monday, 8 May marks the 22nd day of the open hunger strike, launched on 17 April by approximately 1500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

The strikers have a series of demands, including an end to the denial of family visits, proper health care and medical treatment, access to higher education and an end to solitary confinement and administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial. They have faced sharp repression at the hands of the Israeli prison administration, including denial of legal visits and family visits, confiscation of personal belongings, frequent abusive transfers and solitary confinement. Leaders of the strike, including Marwan Barghouthi, Karim Younis and Kamil Abu Hanish, have been targeted for isolation; prominent Palestinian leaders who have joined the strike, including PFLP General Secretary Ahmad Sa’adat, Hamas prison leader Abbas el-Sayyed and longest-serving veteran prisoner Nael Barghouthi, have been isolated and repeatedly transferred as well.

The strikers are threatened with the potential of force feeding, especially as the Israeli press has run reports that far-right Minister of Internal Security Gilad Erdan is pushing for heavy repression and the potential importation of doctors from abroad to forcibly feed hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners. “This trend carries with it preparation for a targeted crime against the prisoners with the intention of murder. It is clear that we are in the next stage now, that of repression, abuse, and attempts to break the strike through threatening the lives of the prisoners. The ongoing preparations indicate that there is a decision taken against the prisoners to their deaths at the hands of a gang of fascists in Tel Aviv. This is what makes this confrontation an extraordinary moment,” wrote the prisoners in their statement urging outrage and action against the force-feeding threat.

Abusive transfers continued as a means to pressure the prisoners; Democratic Front leader Wajdi Jawdat was transferred from isolation in Ayalon prison to isolation in Beersheba prison. This is the third transfer of Jawdat, the representative of DFLP prisoners in Israeli jail.

Palestinian lawyer Khaled Mahajna was able to obtain a legal visit on Sunday, 7 May with two hunger-striking prisoners in the Negev desert prison, Ibrahim Abu Srour and Nael Hussein, the first time these prisoners or any hunger strikers in this prison have received a visit since 17 April. Mahajna reported that the health status of the strikers is deteriorating severely and most lay in bed throughout the day and find it very difficult to stand. Abu Srour said he fainted the week before and continues to have back pain, but has not been given medical treatment; he said he was offered treatment if he ended his hunger strike. The prisoners also reported frequent nightly raids and inspections and deliberate offers of food from Israeli guards. The hunger strikers in the Negev prison have also been fined 450 NIS ($130 USD) each for not standing during roll call; however, they also told Mahajna that their morale is high and they are determined to continue until their demands are achieved.

Prominent figures have continued to announce their hunger strikes in support of the prisoners. Archbishop Atallah Hanna of the Greek Orthodox Church announced on 7 May that he will launch his own hunger strike on Monday to support the demands of the prisoners, emphasizing that “the prisoners’ cause is that of the entire Palestinian people.”  Hanna’s announcement comes shortly after the declaration that Palestinian resistance icon Leila Khaled and Catholic patriarch Gregory III Lahham were also launching hunger strikes in support of the prisoners.

Eight Palestinian mothers of hunger-striking prisoner children are continuing open hunger strike as are a number of released prisoners; in Nablus, five activists including Zaher al-Shishtiri, a leader in the Poplar Front for the Liberation of Palestine, announced an open hunger strike on Sunday, 7 May.  These actions are reflected internationally, with strikes taking place in Turin, Bologna, France, Maastricht, Manchester, Edinburgh and elsewhere.

In Lebanon, Six Palestinian refugee youth from Beddawi refugee camp, part of the Palestinian Youth Organization, announced hat they are launching a hunger strike in support of the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails: Mohammed Taha Abu Bakr, Ibrahim Muhawesh, Khaled al-Shibli, Khalil Musa, Bara Abu Siraj and Ahmad Yassin.

Protests are continuing around Palestine and the world in support of the prisoners. On Monday, 8 May, international events are planned in London, Santiago and Olympia in support of the prisoners, following protests and programs in Quito, Munich, Amsterdam, Cagliari and Seattle on Sunday, 7 May to support the strike.

The National Committee to Support the Battle of Freedom and Dignity issued a statement in Palestine on Sunday, 7 May, urging the escalation of efforts to support the prisoners. A translation of the statement follows:

No voice is louder than the voice of the uprising of the prisoners

Statement of the National Committee for the Support of the Battle of Freedom and Dignity

Oh, children of the brave masses of our people; oh, the steadfast ones on the pure land of Palestine…

The battle for freedom and dignity will continue and intensify in the face of the fascist occupation state that has fueled all of its capacities and recruited its organs and institutions to confront this battle of freedom and dignity, in an attempt to break the will of the prisoners and, behind them, the strength and the will of our heroic Palestinian people.

We emphasize that we stand united behind our heroes, engaged in this battle in the prisons as it enters the 21st day. We say to the occupying power, and to the criminal directors of the prisons, that we will be a force for victory for our prisoners to gain their legitimate rights, leading to their just and honorable freedom.

At this crucial moment for the strike, there is no room for hesitation. It is necessary now to take decisive steps at all levels and muster all of our capacities in the service of this battle, so we adopt the statement of the Prisoners’ Movement and therefore, call for these steps:

First, to engage in large-scale civil disobedience, including the closure of the bypass roads in the face of the occupation army and settlers, launching from all villages, camps and cities to the nearest point of the bypass roads and marching for closure, towards full closure.

Second, we demand that the Palestinian Authority announce the immediate, clear and unambiguous end of all forms of coordination with the occupation state, including security, civil and economic coordination, with the exception of humanitarian cases.

Third, we call on the Palestinian government to suspend the local municipality council elections and direct all efforts toward support of the strike. Considering that we are facing calls to mobilize all of our energies in the service of the goal of victory, we call upon the heads of electoral blocs to an expanded meeting tomorrow to discuss this decision and ensure a means of implementation that achieves its purpose.

Fourth, we call on the brave workers of Palestine, who experience the conditions of life that are part of our condition under occupation, to cease working within the occupation state and the settlements.

Fifth, we call for mobilization in city centers and from the sit-in tents to the headquarters of the International Committee of the Red Cross, on Monday, 8 May 2017.

Sixth, We call for a sit-in in front of the headquarters of the United Nations inside the state of Palestine and other international bodies on Tuesday, 9 May 2017.

Seventh, we demand a full and absolute boycott of Israeli goods, preventing them from entering their markets with a direct response to their entry. We call on young people and the masses to implement this resolution with the destruction of such goods beginning on Wednesday, 10 May 2017, as a final deadline to empty the shelves of shops and stores of these toxins.

Eighth, we call for a general commercial strike on Thursday, 11 May 2017 until 12:00, after which to be launched marches of anger directed to points of confrontation with the occupation.

Eternal glory to the martyrs
Freedom for the prisoners of freedom
Shame on those who have failed to perform their national duty

The Glasgow Celtic football club “ultras” fan group, the Green Brigade, supported the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike with large banners and Palestinian flags at a football match on Saturday, 6 May.

The Celtic fans lifted a huge Palestinian flag as well as massive banners with the slogans “Freedom and Dignity” and “Hungering for Justice.”

Celtic itself won its match against St. Johnstone, 4-1, while its supporters cheered for their team and for the Palestinian people.

The Green Brigade earlier raised $220,000 for Palestinian charities after the football team was fined by the UEFA when its fans waved the Palestinian flag when it played an Israeli team, Hapoel Beer Sheva, on 17 August 2016. The funds went to support Lajee Center in the Aida refugee camp in occupied Palestine and Medical Aid for Palestine.

Celtic fans supporting Palestine defied a ban imposed by UEFA in the 2016 match, noting that “Radical politics and Irish politics has always existed in Celtic Park” in an interview with Telesur, denouncing the ” system of apartheid laws and practices including religious and ethnic based colonization, military occupation and segregation of what remains of Palestinian land.”  The group distributed free Palestinian flags to fans entering the stadium for the match. Celtic defeated the Israeli team in a 5-2 victory in the match.

Over 1500 Palestinian prisoners have been on hunger strike since 17 April 2017, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day. The prisoners are demanding basic human rights, including an end to the denial of family visits, the right to access higher education, appropriate medical care and treatment and an end to solitary confinement and administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial. They have faced harsh repression, including solitary confinement, denial of legal and family visits and confiscation of personal belongings, including the salt that the strikers use to sustain themselves along with water. Leaders of the strike, like Fateh central committee member Marwan Barghouthi, have been isolated, while an increasing number of prominent Palestinian political leaders, like Ahmad Sa’adat, the General Secretary of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and Nael Barghouthi, the longest-serving Palestinian prisoner, have joined the strike.

The Green Brigade has a strong social justice approach, including a long history of support for Irish struggles for justice and liberation. In 2012, they also raised a banner supporting the mass hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners.

Some of the Celtic fans who support Palestine who participated in the display at the match on Saturday earlier took part in a Glasgow protest for the Palestinian prisoners, part of a Scotland-wide Day of Action to support the strike that saw protests in Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Aberdeen and Inverness, organized by We Are All Hana Shalabi, Scotland Supports Palestine and other Scottish Palestine solidarity groups. Numerous cities around the world have seen a growing number of protests and actions to support the hunger strikers, alongside ongoing mass support inside Palestine and in Palestinian communities in exile. Prominent figures, including Archbishop Atallah Hanna and Palestinian resistance icon Leila Khaled – alongside numerous students and community activists internationally – have also launched strikes to support the prisoners’ action.

On their 21st day of hunger strike, Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are facing an ever more serious health situation, as an increasing number of strikers experience loss of balance, muscle wasting and heavy fatigue, reported the strike’s Media Committee.

1500 Palestinian prisoners launched the strike on 17 April, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, for a series of demands, including an end to the denial of family visits, the right to pursue higher education, appropriate medical care and treatment and an end to solitary confinement and administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial. Strikers have faced sharp repression, including frequent late-night raids by repressive forces, abusive transfers from prison to prison, solitary confinement, denial of legal and family visits and confiscation of personal belongings, sometimes including salt. Hunger strikers rely on consuming only salt and water to preserve their lives during the strike.

As the strike has grown and more prominent Palestinian prisoner leaders have joined the strike, repression has also intensified. Some prisoners have been transferred four times since the strike began. Today, the Israeli prison administration reportedly plans to transfer 100 prisoners from Ohli Kedar prison to section 10 in Eshel prison. Meanwhile, 30 of those prominent leaders, including imprisoned Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine General Secretary Ahmad Sa’adat, fellow PFLP leader Ahed Abu Ghoulmeh, Hamas leader Abbas al-Sayyed, longest-held Palestinian prisoner Nael Barghouthi and imprisoned journalist Mohammed al-Qeeq were transferred on Sunday morning to isolation in Ashkelon prison.  All of these transfers also involved barring legal visits for the transferred prisoners.

As the health crisis for hunger-striking prisoners looms ever larger, hunger striker William Rimawi was transferred on Sunday morning, 7 May, to the Ramla prison clinic, according to Ma’an News.  The prisoners warned of the threat of forced feeding, especially as Israeli far-right Minister of Internal Security Gilad Erdan reportedly threatened to import doctors from other countries to forcibly feed Palestinian hunger strikers in military “field hospitals” set up in Israeli jails. “This trend carries with it preparation for a targeted crime against the prisoners with the intention of murder. It is clear that we are in the next stage now, that of repression, abuse, and attempts to break the strike through threatening the lives of the prisoners. The ongoing preparations indicate that there is a decision taken against the prisoners to their deaths at the hands of a gang of fascists in Tel Aviv. This is what makes this confrontation an extraordinary moment,” wrote the prisoners in their statement.

Meanwhile, on Saturday evening, 6 May, the Media Committee of the Prisoners’ Affairs Commission and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society stated that there were still no serious negotiations from the Israeli prison administration aiming to end the strike.

Israeli occupation police in Jerusalem are repeatedly attacking and forbidding events in support of the prisoners organized by their families in the occupied city. Amjad Abu Assab of the Committee of Families of Prisoners of Jerusalem said that the Israeli occupation police declared that they would not allow any event for the prisoners in Sheikh Jarrah neighborhood and threatened to forcibly disperse any assembly. In addition, on Saturday, 6 May, during a gathering outside the International Committee of the Red Cross building, the police surrounded the families of the prisoners and threatened them with attack as they supported the prisoners’ demands.

Events throughout Palestine and internationally are continuing in support of the prisoners, especially as the prisoners urged a “week of outrage” to demand implementation of their demands and support for the strikers facing harsh repression. Prominent figures like Palestinian resistance icon Leila Khaled and Catholic patriarch Gregory III Laham have joined students around the world on hunger strike in support of the prisoners; in addition, nine mothers of prisoners and a number of former prisoners are continuing their hunger strikes of support.

In Lebanon, four Palestinian youth in Nahr el-Bared camp and six youth from Beddawi refugee camp announced a hunger strike while events and rallies took place on Saturday, 6 May in the refugee camps and in the Khiam former prison in Southern Lebanon, in support of the prisoners’ strike.

Internationally, events and actions were organized in Istanbul, London, Birmingham, Whitstable, Norwich, Sheffield, Oxford, Bristol, Glasgow, Edinburgh, Dundee, Inverness, Aberdeen, Uppsala, Dublin, Limerick, Newry, Derry, Berlin, Stuttgart, Cologne, Paris, Auckland and San Diego on Saturday, 6 May in support of the prisoners, while actions are planned on Sunday in Sydney, Amsterdam, Cagliari, Munich, Portland, Fremantle and Quito. Events around the world are available at Samidoun’s global event page.

Support hunger strikes for the Palestinian prisoners, currently engaged in the Strike of Freedom and Dignity in Israeli jails for the past 21 days, have continued to grow. On Saturday, 6 May, Leila Khaled, the historic Palestinian resistance icon and active present-day political leader, announced an open-ended hunger strike in support of the striking prisoners.

She announced the hunger strike at the prisoners’ support tent in Amman, Jordan, in the courtyard of the office of the Democratic People’s Unity Party (Wihda Party) of Jordan. “The prisoners on hunger strike are in direct confrontation with the enemy, but they have only the weapon of the empty stomach,” said Khaled. She urged unity in supporting the strike, saying that “the prisoners are telling us for 20 days to come to the streets and showing us an example of unity,” noting that the prisoners’ struggle is a clear alternative to the path of the official Palestinian Authority leadership, which wants “to sell us the illusion that Trump will resolve our struggle through negotiations.”

“We must uphold the right of return, and the liberation of Palestine, and the establishment of a democratic Palestine on the entire land of Palestine,” she said. “To the heroes on hunger strike in Israeli prison, I join you in this strike from this moment.”

1500 Palestinian prisoners launched their hunger strike on 17 April, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, for a series of demands, including an end to the denial of family visits, proper health care and medical treatment, access to higher education and an end to the use of solitary confinement and administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial. The strikers have faced harsh repression, including denial of legal and family visits, confiscation of personal belongings and even salt. Hunger strikers consume only salt and water to protect their health. Leaders of the strike, including Fateh leader Marwan Barghouthi, have been thrown in solitary confinement. A series of prominent leaders, including Ahmad Sa’adat, Abbas Sayyed, Ibrahim Hamed, Hassan Salameh, Zaid Bseiso and Ahed Abu Ghoulmeh have joined the strike, as well as the longest-serving prisoners in Israeli jails, Nael Barghouthi and Karim Younes.

Leila Khaled is not alone. Gregory III Lahham, the Catholic Patriarch of Antioch and All the East and Alexandria and Jerusalem has launched a hunger strike in solidarity with Palestinians in Israeli jails. Lahham, 83, also launched his solidarity strike on Saturday, 6 May.  In an interview with Al-Mayadeen TV, he said “I say to the prisoners, we are with you in your sacrifice for Palestine.”

These support strikes by prominent figures also reflect ongoing collective strikes organized inside and outside Palestine by Palestinian and solidarity groups. Inside Palestine, a number of former prisoners as well as prisoners’ families have launched support strikes along with the prisoners in Israeli jails. Long-term former prisoners like Fakhri Barghouthi have vowed to continue their strikes until the victory of the strikers inside prison.

From the Palestinian refugee camps of Lebanon, youth are also standing with Palestinian prisoners. The Palestinian Youth Organization in Nahr el-Bared refugee camp announced that four of its members were launching a hunger strike to support the prisoners’ strike in Israeli prison.

The announcement came after PYO organizers joined the Lebanese Association of Democratic Youth to distribute salt and water in the center of Tripoli in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike. Palestinian and Lebanese participants distributed information about the hunger strike before the PYO activists announced their hunger strike.

Meanwhile, illustrating the breadth and diversity of solidarity actions with the prisoners, Columbia University students in New York who are part of the Columbia University Apartheid Divest campaign are holding a rolling hunger strike in New York City. “CUAD stands firmly in solidarity with the resilient Palestinian prisoners in the call for justice, freedom, and dignity,” the group said. Beginning on 4 May, each CUAD member is launching a 24-hour hunger strike in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners, a rotation that will continue until the end of the Palestinian prisoners’ strike.

These actions join with events that have been taking place throughout Europe. Progetto Palestina in Turin, Italy launched a hunger strike and built a European-wide campaign for more solidarity strikes with the prisoners.  ““For us, the important thing is to spread the news about the prisoners to people in our cities, where the media censors prisoners’ voices,” said Alex Rosso, an organizer with student group Progetto Palestina, based in Turin, in a Telesur interview. “The other central element is to show them solidarity, to make their fight stronger.”

The strike is being joined by students elsewhere in Italy, in Madrid, in Maastricht and in other cities and campuses. In Bologna, organizers will gather on 9 May to launch their solidarity strike.

These events also come alongside ongoing hunger strike campaigns at Edinburgh University, where the Communist Society has been engaged in a hunger strike to support Palestinian prisoners, and the University of Manchester, where the BDS Campaign at the University engaged in a week-long strike to support the prisoners. At both universities, the student groups have experienced censorship and repression when speaking about the struggles of the Palestinian people.