As hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners entered their 14th day of hunger strike, completing their second week of strike, the longest consecutively-held Palestinian prisoner and a leader of the strike, Karim Younes, vowed to continue the strike “until victory or death.”

Younes, a Palestinian prisoner from ‘Ara in occupied Palestine ’48 who has spent over 35 years in Israeli prison, had a hearing in the Haifa District Court on Sunday, 30 May to consider the petition of his lawyers, Yamen Zeidan and Tamim Younes, to visit him during the strike. Like the vast majority of hunger strikers, Younes has been denied legal and family visits since the beginning of the strike on 17 April. During his appearance in the court, Younes was visibly fatigued and he has lost 10 kg (20 pounds) of weight since the beginning of his strike.

A hearing will be held on 3 May by the Israeli Supreme Court regarding a filing by Adalah and the Prisoners Affairs’ Commission on the general denial of legal visits to Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike. On Sunday, the Prisoners Affairs Commission and Palestinian Prisoners Society announced that they are implementing a full boycott of Israeli occupation military courts based on the continued denial of legal visits. Hundreds of international lawyers expressed their solidarity in a statement originated by the National Lawyers Guild in the U.S.

With other strike leaders, Younes has been repeatedly transferred from prison to prison, first from Hadarim prison to isolation in Jalameh prison and now to Gilboa prison. 1500 Palestinian prisoners launched their hunger strike, the Strike of Freedom and Dignity, on 17 April. They are demanding basic human rights, inclduing an end to the denial of family visits, appropriate medical care, the right to education and an end to solitary confinement and administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial.

The strikers have been met with harsh repression inside the prisons. Aside from a few visits for prisoners in Ashkelon and Ofer prisons, nearly all of the 1500 strikers have been denied legal visits; all have been denied family visits. Their personal belongings and clothing have been confiscated; many prisoners have even reported that the salt that they consume with water to sustain their health and lives has been confiscated by Israeli prison administration.

Striking prisoners have been repeatedly transferred from prison to prison; many have been moved to isolation sections. Strike leaders, like Younes, Fateh leader Marwan Barghouthi and Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine prison branch leader Kamil Abu Hanish have been thrown into solitary confinement. Prisoners have been subjected to repeated late-night and pre-dawn raids by repressive units. On Sunday, Nasser Oweis, held in isolation in Ayalon Ramle prison, was assaulted by repressive forces.

Meanwhile, the media committee of the strike reported potential overtures for negotiations by the Israeli prison administration since Saturday; however, they noted as well that the prison administration is so far insisting upon the exclusion of Marwan Barghouthi, the imprisoned Fateh leader designated as spokesperson by Fateh prisoners when announcing the strike.

Palestinian and international actions continued in support of the prisoners. On Sunday, 30 April, international events took place in Melbourne, Malmo, Padua, and Milan, while many international cities will see Palestinian contingents and a strong presence in support of the Palestinian prisoners and the Palestinian liberation movement in general on 1 May, International Workers’ Day. Among other cities, events in Athens, Liege, Copenhagen, Brussels, New York, Lille, Arras, Lyon, Paris, Metz, Berlin, Montpellier, Cologne, London, Los Angeles and New Jersey will include calls for the liberation of Palestinian political prisoners and the Palestinian people.

As protests continued to grow, more activists engaged in solidarity hunger strikes with the prisoners. At the University of Manchester in the UK, five students are continuing a solidarity hunger strike to support the Palestinian prisoners.

In Palestine, they are joined by a number of prisoners’ family members, as well as eight activists in Nablus, who have launched a solidarity strike in the prisoners’ support tents. At Bir Zeit University, five students, all former prisoners themselves, have launched a five-day hunger strike to support the prisoners: Yasser Abu Remaileh, Lina Khattab, Abed Barbar, Yousef Barghouthi and Jihad Manasra.

As demonstrators take the streets in numerous Palestinian, Arab and international cities, towns, campuses and refugee camps in support of Palestinian prisoners, the city of Berlin, Germany has been a high point in the international mobilizations supporting the Freedom and Dignity hunger strike of imprisoned Palestinians. The streets and squares of Berlin have been filled with repeated protest actions in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails, organized by Palestinian and Palestine solidarity groups in the city.

Berlin, home to one of the largest Palestinian communities in Europe, has been an active site of mobilization in support of the hunger strike that was launched on 17 April, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, by 1500 Palestinian prisoners. Labeled the Strike for Freedom and Dignity, the hunger strike demands an end to the denial of family visits, appropriate medical care for Palestinian prisoners and an end to solitary confinement and imprisonment without charge or trial. Solidarity network Palästina-Solidarität has provided consistent German-language news and information about developments in the hunger strike,  while Palestinian community groups including the Democratic Palestine Committees, Palestinian National Action Committee, Palestinian Association in Germany and others have organized multiple protests.

On Saturday, 29 April, demonstrators gathered in Potsdamer Platz first for an information table and then for a demonstration to support the prisoners, at least the sixth demonstration for Palestinian prisoners since the beginning of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Week of Action on 15 April. Protesters distributed information, held signs, banners and Palestinian flags and displayed large props to dramatize the situation of Palestinian prisoners, including a large “cage” and representations of Handala, the timeless cartoon character representing a Palestinian refugee boy created by Naji al-Ali.

The protest on Saturday followed a human chain that stretched from Wittenbergplatz to Joachimstaler Strasse on Friday evening, 28 April. Dozens of participants stretched through the busy shopping streets, holding candles in vigil of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strikes while displaying Palestinian flags and images of the prisoners and distributing flyers and information about the prisoners’ struggle.

Earlier in the week, on Wednesday, 26 April, many Palestinian and Palestine solidarity activists gathered by the iconic Brandenburger Tor in central Berlin to stand in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike. Palestinian music played while banners and Palestinian flags waved in support of the Palestinian prisoners’ struggle, with a wide participation by many organizations in the city.

The Wednesday protest followed an action on Saturday, 22 April, also in Potsdamer Platz, where participants carried signs and banners highlighting the Palestinian prisoners’ struggle and key issues like administrative detention – imprisonment without charge or trial – and solitary confinement. Demonstrators held posters of a number of prominent Palestinian prisoners, including PFLP General Secretary Ahmad Sa’adat and Fateh leader Marwan Barghouthi, highlighting their struggles for freedom.

These four actions came following two protests, at Neukolln Rathaus and Hermannplatz, on 15 and 17 April. Marking Palestinian Prisoners’ Day and the Week of Action for Palestinian Prisoners, the Democratic Palstine Committees gathered on 15 April at the Neukolln Rathaus to support Palestinian prisoners, facing down an attempt by pro-apartheid pro-Zionist organizations to shut down the protest. On 17 April, Palestinian youth led a demonstration at Hermannplatz as part of the End Security Coordination Campaign demanding freedom for Palestinian prisoners and an end to PA security coordination with Israel.

All of the demonstrations have been well-attended with over 70 participants in each case, often including families and children. The demonstrations in Berlin have come alongside numerous actions in international cities, including protests in other German cities such as Stuttgart, Koblenz, Bremen, Cologne and Bonn. The next mobilization for Palestinian prisoners in Berlin will take place on 1 May, May Day, when Palestinian and Palestine solidarity activists will participate in the Internationalist Block in the Revolutionary May Day demonstration at 4 pm at Lausitzer Platz in Berlin’s Kreuzberg neighborhood. On 6 May, the Palestinian National Action Committee in Berlin is organizing a day-long hunger strike action in Alexanderplatz in solidarity with the prisoners.

Demonstrators in Brussels, Belgium gathered outside city’s central train station on Friday, 28 April to stand in solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners on open hunger strike for dignity and freedom. Participants carried Palestinian flags – including several massive flags – as well as signs and banners urging justice and freedom for the prisoners.

1500 Palestinian prisoners launched their strike in Israeli jails on 17 April, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day. The hunger strikers have a series of demands, including an end to the denial of family visits, increased communication with loved ones, appropriate medical care and treatment and the end of solitary confinement and administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial. Protesters at the event also highlighted the case of Lebanese struggler for Palestine Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, imprisoned in France for nearly 33 years, who recently conducted a three-day hunger strike to support Palestinian prisoners.

Following up on the Brussels protest held on 19 April to support the Palestinian prisoners and their hunger strike, protesters from a number of organizations including the Palestinian Community of Belgium and Luxembourg, Association Belgo-Palestinienne, Palestina Solidariteit, Plate-forme Charleroi-Palestine, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network and others came together to call for the immediate implementation of the hunger strikers’ demands. Hamdan al-Damiri and Tahsin Zaki of the Palestinian community opened and emceed the event with calls for justice for Palestinian prisoners.

Speakers at the protest included Nadia El Yousfi, Belgian senator from the Parti Socialiste (PS), who was one of seven Belgian parliamentarians to nominate Marwan Barghouthi, an imprisoned Palestinian political leader and a leader of this hunger strike, for a Nobel Peace Prize in 2016. Alexis DeSwaef, president of the League for Human Rights in Belgium and a prominent lawyer and human rights advocate, also spoke at the event, on the human rights situation and just demands of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike. DeSwaef was one of the participants in a Belgian human rights delegation to Palestine that reviewed and denounced Belgian participation in LAW-TRAIN, an EU-funded collaborative training program with the Israeli police on interrogation techniques.

Dirk DeBlock, a councillor with the Workers Party of Belgium in Molenbeek and several community activists from Molenbeek also spoke at the protest. Molenbeek, one of the 19 communes that makes up the city and region of Brussels, celebrated a major victory for Palestinian human rights on Wednesday, 26 April when the commune adopted a legally-binding policy prohibiting contracting with businesses and corporations involved with human rights violations, including the Israeli occupation of Palestine, the first Belgian city or town to adopt such a binding initiative.

The adoption of the procurement policy followed a resolution passed on 25 June 2015 that directed the creation of such a policy, which was found to be legally consistent and binding by the municipality at the April meeting. The campaign for Molenbeek’s contracting to be free of apartheid profiteers was launched by DeBlock when G4S was found to be contracted for cash security and transport by the municipality, despite the global campaign against the corporation for its involvement in human rights abuses in Palestine. This included G4S’ involvement with the Israeli Prison Service as well as its role in checkpoints and other structures of Israeli apartheid.

The adoption of the policy was celebrated by a large group of Palestinian community members, Palestine solidarity activists and other social justice and human rights advocates who were part of the Molenbeek Free of Apartheid campaign.

The event included a moving and powerful performance by Raj’een Palestinian Dabkeh Troupe, who performed a modern dabkeh piece illustrating the struggle of Palestinian prisoners as well as a classic dabkeh performance. The strong dancing and Palestinian music drew the attention of many passers-by in the central area of the city. The dabkeh troupe, organized by Palestinian youth in Belgium, performs at cultural and community events across Europe.

Charlotte Kates of Samidoun spoke at the event, emphasizing the international nature of the campaign to support Palestinian prisoners and that Israeli attempts to isolate and silence the prisoners have failed. This is reflected on a daily basis as the streets of Palestine, the Arab world and international cities have protests, demonstrations and actions to support the hunger strikers and their struggle. She noted the hunger strikers’ basic demands for human rights and justice, and called for the freedom of all Palestinian prisoners, the imprisoned leadership of the Palestinian struggle against racism, colonialism, apartheid and occupation. She also demanded an end to Belgian and European complicity with Israeli violations of Palestinian rights, calling for an end to LAW-TRAIN and the EU-Israel Association Agreement.

Participants also collectively participated in the #SaltWaterChallenge, drinking cups of salt and water as many people have done in viral social media videos, publicizing the hunger strikers’ reliance on salt and water to maintain their lives and health. A Palestinian Belgian student spoke about the struggles of Palestinian youth prisoners and the importance of standing beside the prisoners in their struggle for justice and liberation.

The event included significant representation from the Palestinian and Arab communities as well as activists from a number of political parties, including the Workers’ Party of Belgium and the Green Party, trade unions and other social and community organizations. Dozens of Belgian organizations are also issuing a letter to the Belgian government to call for a changed policy on Palestine and defense of the rights of Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails. On Saturday, 6 May, another rally will come together in Brussels at the Place de la Monnaie at 4 pm in support of the Palestinian prisoners and their hunger strike.