The Finnish Palestinian community in Finland invites all of you to participate in the solidarity protest with our prisoners in the Israeli occupation prisons on Tuesday 02/05/2017 at (17:00) in front of Kiasma (Mannerheiminaukio 2, 00100 Helsinki). An official statement will be delivered to the Finnish Parliament.
Suomen Palestiinalaisten Siirtokuntayhdistys kutsuu teitä osallistumaan solidaarisuusprotestiin israelilaisten miehitysvankiloiden vankien kanssa tiistaina 02.05.2017 klo 17.00-19:00 Kiasman edustalla (Mannerheiminaukio 2, 00100 Helsinki). Virallinen lausunto toimitetaan eduskunnan edessä.
– تدعوكم الجالية الفلسطينية في فنلندا لمشاركتها في الوقفة التضامنية مع اسرانا في سجون الأحتلال الأسرائيلي يوم الثلاثاء الموافق 02/05/2017 الساعة الخامسة بعد الظهر (17:00) أمام Kiasma (Mannerheiminaukio 2, 00100 Helsinki) وسوف يتم تسليم البرلمان الفنلندي بيان رسمي خاص.
On April 17, over 1,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails began a hunger strike under the slogan of “Freedom and Dignity.” Palestinian prisoners demand to abolish the judicial apartheid of indefinite detention without trial which has been imposed by Israeli state terror and to improve their living conditions (end of isolation, communication with relatives, medical care)
The SYRIZA-ANEL coalition is complicity in the ongoing crimes of the Israeli state
Victory to the arms of the Palestinian Resistance
Victory to the struggle of Palestinian prisoners
This is to call for a Palestine contingent at the May Day Strike taking place on Monday, May 1st. We will meet up at 3:00 PM in front of Whole Foods at Union Square (during the break between speakers) and march together as part of the larger rally.
Join Palestinian activists in Malmo for a rally and solidarity sit-in in support of the Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails. 1500 prisoners launched their hunger strike on 17 April for dignity and freedom.
Sunday, 30 April 4:00 pm Piazza Cordusio Milan, Italy
Join the Palestinian Association in Italy in a protest for freedom for Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails. 1500 Palestinian prisoners launched a hunger strike on 17 April – support their demands for dignity and freedom.
As Palestinian prisoners’ 13th day of hunger strike continued, 100 more prisoners joined the hunger strike in Megiddo prison, announced Abdel-Fattah Dawla, the spokesperson for the national committee to support the strike.
The 100 prisoners joined the Freedom and Dignity Strike, launched on 17 April by 1500 Palestinian prisoners for a series of demands, including an end to denials of family visits, the right to appropriate medical care and treatment and an end to solitary confinement and administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial.
Meanwhile, Asra Voice reported that Israeli cellular networks had blocked cellular transmission for 24 hours near the border with Egypt, including in the areas near the Negev desert prison and Nafha prison. Yediot Ahronot reportedly stated that this was due to messages and interviews sent by the prisoners via secret cell phones inside prison sections about the hunger strike and the situation inside Israeli prisons.
Prisoners’ Affairs Committee lawyer Louay Akkeh reported that he had received a rare legal visit with four hunger strikers in Ofer prison. Only a few hunger strikers in Ofer and Ashkelon prisons have been allowed legal visits since the beginning of the strike; the Israeli Supreme Court will hold a hearing on 3 May on Palestinian lawyers’ challenge to the denial of legal visits for hunger-striking clients.
Akkeh met with Fadi Abu Aita, Louay al-Mansi, Sharar Mansour and Ahmad Sharabati, all of whom confirmed that they were currently striking and had been since 17 April, the first day of the strike. Akkeh said that his clients reported repeated pre-dawn raids on the strikers’ sections in Ofer, including confiscation of salt supplies. Palestinian hunger strikers consume only salt and water in the strike in order to preserve their health. Akkeh also reported that 10 prisoners in Ofer are suffering from fatigue and that two had been taken to the hospital after fainting; one required stitches as he had a head injury when falling. Prisoners on the strike have lost between 4 and 14 kilograms of weight, Akkeh reported.
Akkeh also said that Israeli prison guards and staff have attempted to offer sick or injured prisoners food during transportation to the hospital, and the prisoners continue to be denied changes of clothing and are allowed to wash their uniform only once weekly.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society and the Prisoners’ Affairs Commission announced that given the ongoing situation of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike, the violations of their human rights and the denial of legal visits, they are moving to a full boycott of Israeli occupation military courts beginning Sunday, 30 April.
The organizations had previously announced a boycott of the military courts. However, beginning Sunday, the lawyers of these associations will fully implement this decision and boycott all hearings in the Israeli military courts except for the hearings on the extension of detention of jailed Palestinians, with the goal of the “complete closure of the occupation military courts.”
In Jerusalem, Israeli occupation forces seized five Palestinian young people in Jerusalem following a march in support of hunger strikers. International protests continued in support of the strike, including in London, Berlin, Gothenburg, Montpellier, Rome, Loblenz, Winnipeg, Albertville, Bonn, Bremen, Memphis, Turin, and Rome.
On Tuesday, April 25, Palestinian American icon Rasmea Odeh was joined in Detroit by close to 150 supporters from across the Midwest, at a federal court plea hearing based on an agreement reached last month. Sentencing will be formally imposed on August 17 in Detroit, but its terms were discussed and approved by Judge Gershwin Drain at this hearing. Rasmea will be stripped of her citizenship, and have to leave the United States permanently. She will not be sentenced to any further prison time (Drain jailed Rasmea for five weeks in November and December of 2014 after her conviction at trial), and she will “voluntarily” depart the country without being detained by immigration authorities.
The courtroom was packed, leaving many supporters to watch the fairly straightforward proceedings from an overflow room. The government summarized the terms of the plea agreement, and Rasmea’s lead attorney, Michael Deutsch, added a few points. While the government was not asking for more prison time or a fine if the plea was approved, Drain informed Rasmea that he would determine the sentence, which normally would carry a maximum of 10 years imprisonment plus a $200,000 penalty. But, later in the hearing, he clarified that he intended to honor the terms of the agreement.
After a few other clarifications, Drain asked Rasmea if she agreed to the “factual basis” of the plea agreement. After a long pause, and some quiet exchanges with Deutsch, Rasmea said, “I signed.” This was not enough for Drain, who asked several times for Rasmea to say she was guilty. Each time, she answered, “Yes, I signed it.” Once more, he insisted that she must admit guilt. Rasmea paused again, then answered, “I signed this; it says I’m guilty.” It was clear that this was as far as Rasmea was willing to go, so Drain relented, and approved the plea agreement.
It is important to note that this agreement did not include the last minute submissions by zionist Assistant U.S. Attorney Jonathan Tukel, who attempted to put on the record that Rasmea had committed “terrorist” acts and was a member of a “designated terrorist organization.” One final time, Tukel was denied the opportunity to use the case against Rasmea as a platform to grandstand for Israel.
Surprisingly, former U.S. Attorney Barbara McQuade—who brought the original indictment against Rasmea but resigned after being asked to by Trump’s new Attorney General Jeff Sessions—was sitting in the first row of the courtroom.
“For years, she had claimed that this was not a political case, and that Rasmea was not being targeted for being Palestinian,” said Nesreen Hasan of the Rasmea Defense Committee, “but McQuade was so invested in this plea that she showed up when it’s not even her job anymore!” Rasmea’s supporters were so incensed that they chanted “Shame on you” and “You’re a phony” to McQuade while filing out of the courtroom.
Everyone then rallied for a program on the steps outside the courthouse. Deutsch spoke first, explaining that because the government was prosecuting this simple immigration case as one related to terrorism, it was doubtful that Rasmea could receive a fair trial.
Hatem Abudayyeh, of the U.S. Palestinian Community Network (USPCN), said, “We’re going to lose Rasmea, she’s going to leave [us]. We know that. But we also know that for three and a half years, we put Israel on trial in the United States. We put their treatment of Palestinians in 1948 Palestine, in Gaza, in the West Bank, in Jerusalem, in all the refugee camps on trial. We put their treatment of our political prisoners on trial. We put their military courts on trial. We put their torture on trial. We did incredibly valuable and valiant work.
“And because of her bravery, because she said from day one, ‘I’m not going to allow anyone to criminalize my people,’ we built support from the most important social justice movements in the country … anti-torture, women’s rights, sexual assault survivors, immigrant rights, Movement for Black Lives, anti-war… [they all] came out in support of Rasmea, and in support of Palestine, because of the brave woman who’s standing here today.”
Abudayyeh praised some of the individuals and groups that played a critical role in defending Rasmea over the years—her legal team (Deutsch, Jim Fennerty, Dennis Cunningham, Bill Goodman, and Huwaida Arraf); Arab, Black, and Latinx youth from the Arab American Action Network; members of the Arab Women’s Committee established by Rasmea back in 2004; organizers from the Chicago Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression (CAARPR) and the Anti-War Committees of Chicago and Minnesota; Students for Justice in Palestine (SJP) activists; and leaders of the national organizations that anchored the political defense, the Committee to Stop FBI Repression (CSFR) and USPCN.
Frank Chapman (below) of CAARPR then took the mic. “This is a sad moment for me, but we gotta measure up. The Palestinian movement for liberation is not lost and is not losing, and it’s because we have comrades, sisters like Rasmea Odeh. It’s been a proud moment for me to stand with this movement, to stand with this comrade, because united in struggle I know we can’t lose.”
Jess Sundin of CSFR was introduced next, and said, “We are absolutely committed to continuing to stand with you. At the end of day, we don’t run these courtrooms. We don’t make these laws, we don’t write these plea agreements… but we can always fight back. We can always resist. We can be sure that Rasmea’s work, wherever she is, will continue to make a huge difference in advancing the struggle for the liberation of Palestine, and the liberation of all of us.”
Black4Palestine’s Kristian Bailey added, “Angela Davis said two years ago in Chicago, she knew that when the government went after her it wasn’t because she as an individual was a criminal. They were trying to target and dismantle an entire movement. She said the same thing is true in Rasmea’s case. And we’re not going to let them dismantle the wonderful movement we built in Chicago; we’re not going to back down. Now is the time to unite and fight and win!”
Veteran organizer Elaine Rumman of USPCN’s Detroit chapter thanked Rasmea for her work and commitment and said, “[Rasmea] is our star; she is our success!”
Lorena Buni of Anakbayan, a Filipino youth organization, criticized the unjust system that attacked Rasmea: “The reality is, they are the ones who are afraid of us, for them to go to this extent to criminalize such a strong woman and organizer. And we will not let the struggle die. We will continue the fight. Rasmea did not lose today, because everyone that’s gathered here today stands in solidarity with her and with Palestine.”
An alumnus of National SJP, Leila Abdelrazaq, recalled a lesson shared by Rasmea to an SJP conference years prior: “She told us young Palestinians that we shouldn’t feel that the Palestine movement is separate from us, or that what’s happening in Palestine is separate from us. Rasmea has proven she fights for Palestinians all over the world. She came to the U.S. and dedicated her life to our community here, just like she did back home. … Rasmea’s dedication to that fight makes us also fight for her, and fight for each other.”
Brant Rosen of Jewish Voice for Peace wrapped up the solidarity messages, praising Rasmea and addressing her directly: “The best teachers don’t teach by what they say or what they write, but by what they are. What I take away today is the image of you standing before the judge, who was demanding that you say to him and the world that you are guilty, and you refused, because you are not guilty. Your strength and your courage and your kindness and your compassion really teaches all of us how to be in this world.”
After a number of already emotional moments, Rasmea stepped forward to thank her supporters, speaking first in Arabic and then in English. “I believe my case is Palestine’s case,” she began, her voice cracking. “We have to continue our struggle to get our freedom and to have our Palestine [be free] and to go back. We have to go back to our villages. There is no choice. No choices. Like today in court, they gave me no other choice – [either] prison and then [get sent] back. Or [deportation] without jail.
“I think to continue my struggle, I chose this [even] if it’s hard. I don’t want to leave! This is my second country. But they want me to leave because they want to destroy us, to destroy our struggle. So we have to continue our struggle. Thank you for your support… your support is very important to me… to Palestine… to all countries struggling for freedom and justice.”
Watch the full video here. And continue to help us with our expenses at justice4rasmea.org/donate, or by purchasing our brand new t-shirt here.
Supporters will return to Detroit with Rasmea on August 17 for the formal sentencing. Before that, a massive sendoff for her will be organized in Chicago. Look for an announcement soon, as we hope people from all across the country will attend—to say farewell, and to honor Rasmea’s lifetime of work for Palestinian liberation.
Rasmea Defense Committee, led by USPCN and CSFR
Friday, April 28, 2017 – #Justice4Rasmea
Palestinian political prisoners are now entering their 13th day of open hunger strike in Israeli prisons. Launched on 17 April by 1500 Palestinian prisoners, the Strike of Freedom and Dignity has a series of demands, including an end to the denials of family visits, appropriate medical care and treatment for ill Palestinian prisoners, and an end to solitary confinement and administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial.
The strike has been met with sharp repression by the Israeli prison administration, which has denied legal visits to the vast majority of hunger strikers, cut off family visits, confiscated prisoners’ clothing and blankets, subjected strikers to frequent raids and abusive transfers from one prison to another, isolated hunger strike leaders in solitary confinement and even confiscated salt from hunger strikers according to many reports. Hunger strikers take only salt and water during their strikes.
Repressive units continued to attack the prisoners in Ayalon Ramle prison on Friday, 28 April, after transferring a number of leaders of the hunger strike to isolation cells in this prison, including Kamil Abu Hanish, Nader Sadaqa, Nasser Abu Hmeid, Wajdi Jawdat, Nasser al-Owais, Ziad Zahran and Mohammed al-Khalidi. More transfers of strikers and prison movement leaders continued, as Raed al-Saadi, Amjad al-Deek and Yousri al-Masri, were transferred from Nafha to Ohli Kedar prison, while Thabet Mardawi and Ahmed al-Saadi were transferred from Hadarim to isolation in Eshel prison.
In Ofer prison, prisoners who have not yet joined the strike returned their meals on Friday and performed Friday prayers in the brown “Shabas” prison uniform in support of their fellow hunger-striking prisoners.
Several Palestinian legal organizations have filed a petition to the Israeli Supreme Court against the denial of legal visits to Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike. Only several prisoners each in Ofer and Ashkelon prisons have successfully received legal visits; all other visits, including those with strike leaders like Marwan Barghouthi, Abu Hanish, Sadaqa, Jawdat and others, have been denied. The Israeli Supreme Court set next Wednesday, 3 May as a date for the consideration of the petition by Adalah and the Prisoners’ Affairs Commission to allow legal visits for Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike. Hundreds of lawyers, legal workers and law students have signed a letter by the National Lawyers Guild in the United States in support of the hunger striking prisoners’ demands as well as supporting Palestinian lawyers’ demands to have legal visits with their clients.
Massive protests throughout occupied Palestine, in the West Bank, Gaza Strip, Jerusalem and occupied Palestine ’48 continued in support of the hunger strikers. In Nazareth, Shafa ‘Amr, Sakhnin, Umm al-Fahm, Majd al-Krum, Rahat and Buain Nujeidat, protesters organized sit-ins and demonstrations in support of the strikers, raising Palestinian flags and posters of the prisoners. Throughout the West Bank, Palestinians were injured by Israeli occupation forces who attacked protests in support of the prisoners; over 60 were injured by occupation forces attacking protests.
In al-Arroub refugee camp north of al-Khalil, Israeli occupation forces attacked and stormed a tent in support of the prisoners and injured two Palestinian youth. Dozens more were injured in the evening as occupation forces attacked a candlelight march in the camp in support of the hunger strike of Palestinian prisoners.
Dozens more were injured by tear gas thrown by Israeli occupation forces in Bethlehem against a march launched after Friday prayers; actions in Bethlehem and Beit Sahour continued later in the evening in support of the prisoners with night marches.
In Beit Ummar, Israeli occupation forces attacked a protest in support of Palestinian prisoners, firing live ammunition and shooting stun grenades and tear gas, injuring a number of participants. In Abu Dis, east of Jerusalem, two Palestinians were shot with rubber-coated metal bullets by Israeli occupation forces while nine more were overcome by tear gas as Israeli occupation forces attcked a prisoner support demonstration. In Nabi Saleh, three more Palestinian youths were injured by Israeli occupation forces who attacked a demonstration confronting them with live “tutu” bullets. Two young men were wounded in the foot and leg, while another was hit in the head by a tear gas canister shot by occupation forces.
In Kufr Qaddum, six Palestinian young people, including two children, were wounded by Israeli occupation soldiers firing rubber-coated metal bullets against a march following Friday prayers in support of the prisoners. In Beita, Israeli occupation forces ignited a fire in a central vegetable market by firing tear gas and sound bombs toward demonstrators for the prisoners.
In al-Khalil, Jenin, Nil’in, Bil’in, Ramallah, al-Fara refugee camp, Gaza, Tulkarem, al-Khader, Tubas, Nablus and elsewhere in occupied Palestine, demonstrations and protests for the prisoners continued, frequently coming under attack by occupation forces.
Protests also continued to grow in support of the prisoners outside Palestine. In Brussels, crowds gathered outside the city’s central train station in solidarity with the prisoners, while a human chain stretched through the streets of Berlin in support of the prisoners’ strike. In New York City, Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network rallied to support the prisoners and for the boycott of Hewlett-Packard, while more protests were organized in London, Copenhagen, Aarhus, Montreal, Albany, Parma, Girona and elsewhere. Irish republican socialists for Palestine organized two vigils in Dublin and Belfast, with many people remaining out for an all-night vigil in Belfast in support of the hunger strikers.
The Prisoner Hunger Strike Solidarity Coalition, which works to support prisoners in the United States in their struggles for freedom and justice in the U.S. prison system, issued a statement in support of the Palestinian prisoners, as have many other organizations, including Black4Palestine and the International Jewish Anti-Zionist Network. Many Palestinians and people in solidarity with Palestine continued to participate in social media actions to support the prisoners, including the #DignityStrike campaign of artists and the #SaltWaterChallenge, in which people drink a cup of salt and water to show their support for the prisoners.
International events are planned today, Saturday 29 April in Paris, Gothenburg, Rome, London, Turin, Memphis, Berlin, Koblenz, Bremen and Albertville, among other locations. In Palestine, the National Committee to Support the Hunger Strike is calling for wide participation in the support tents for the prisoners beginning at 11:00 am today, with church bells and prayers for the prisoners on Sunday, 30 April, and full participation in May 1st, International Workers’ Day, activities on Monday in support of the prisoners’ strike and with the full support of Palestinian workers and labor unions.
On Friday, 28 April, Thaer Halahleh, former long-term hunger striker in Israeli prisons, was seized by occupation forces at a suddenly placed checkpoint near Bethlehem, when his vehicle was stopped by israeli occupation forces.
Halahleh, from the village of Kharas near al-Khalil, was reportedly taken from the car, his hands tied and taken to an as-yet unknown destination, reported Asra Voice, quoting Halahleh’s family.
He has been seized by Israeli occupation forces on multiple occasions and has spent over nine years in Israeli prisons, most of them in administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial. He was most recently released in October 2016; he had been imprisoned without charge or trial since July 2014.
Halahleh engaged in a 77-day hunger strike in 2012, winning his freedom from administrative detention without charge or trial in June 2012 alongside fellow administrative detainee Bilal Diab. He was arrested again in April 2013 and released in May 2014, before being once again arrested and imprisoned without charge or trial.
Halahleh suffers from Hepatitis C, contracted during a dental operation in Israeli prisons where improper sterilization was used. During his previous imprisonment, Halahleh was denied family visits with his wife and children for seven months, and received only painkillers as treatment for his illness.
On 17 April, 1500 Palestinian prisoners launched a hunger strike for a series of demands, including the right to family visits, appropriate medical care, and the end of administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial. Protests throughout occupied Palestine and internationally have grown in support of the strikers, with former prisoners often in the leadership of these events.
Photo: Protest for the hunger strikers, Berlin, Germany, 26 April. Photo by Afif el-Ali.
Hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails are now on their 12th day of hunger strike in the “Strike of Dignity and Freedom.” Approximately 1500 Palestinian prisoners began the strike on 17 April, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, for a series of demands, including an end to the denial of family visits, appropriate medical care for sick prisoners, and the end of solitary confinement and administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial.
A general strike throughout the West Bank and Gaza Strip on Thursday, 27 April stopped commerce, labor and government activities as people showed broad solidarity and support for the Palestinian prisoners.
Inside Israeli prisons, Palestinian prisoners continued to face repression. Hunger strikers have been repeatedly transferred from prison to prison and many thrown in isolation, in an attempt to stress and demoralize the hunger strikers while making it very difficult to obtain accurate information from inside the prisons. In addition, aside from some prisoners in Ofer and two visits in Ashkelon, hunger striking prisoners have been denied legal visits since the beginning of the strike. Prisoners’ personal belongings have been confiscated, including their clothing and blankets, and they have been denied recreation and Friday group prayer. In addition, many prisoners have reported the confiscation of salt, which prisoners consume with water during the strike.
On Thursday, repressive units continued to invade prisoners’ sections in Ramon prison following a raid on striking prisoners’ sections in Ashkelon prison on Tuesday, when striking prisoners were assaulted for refusing to stand up for inspection. Palestinian lawyer Karim Ajwa reprted that five prisoners were wounded in the face and head and taken to the prison clinic. Ajwa also said that internal disciplinary hearings were conducted against the hunger strikers and sanctions imposed on them as well as fines of 500 NIS ($125) each; he said that salt was also taken from the prisoners in an attempt to break the strike. After 11 days of denials, Ajwa finally obtained a legal visit with Nasr Abu Hmeid and Said Musallam, who also reported that the striking prisoners are boycotting medical examinations and that there are serious health concerns for the ill prisoners participating in the hunger strike.
Despite the risks, two more sick prisoners, Mutawakkil Radwan and Khalil Shawamrah, announced their participation in the ongoing hunger strike.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society and Adalah petitioned the Israeli Supreme Court for legal visits to hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners which have been repeatedly denied, with the only exceptions being several visits to prisoners in Ofer and now two visits to prisoners in Ashkelon.
The International Committee of the Red Cross also reported meeting with hundreds of hunger strikers in Gilboa prison on Thursday; the ICRC stated that they would arrange additional visits in the coming days. “We are fully aware that we are currently the only contact point with the outside world for detainees on hunger strike,” said an ICRC spokesperon, noting that the priority was placed on exchanging verbal messages between Palestinian prisoners and their families. However, it should be noted that one demand of the hunger strike – for the restoration of twice-monthly rather than once-monthly family visits – is a demand on the ICRC to stop its “cost-cutting” measures that have further isolated Palestinian prisoners.
In the protests to support the strikers on Thursday, 500 Islamic Jihad cadres in Gaza engaged in a one-day hunger strike in Gaza City in support of the strikers, amid large marches and demonstrations organized by all Palestinian political parties. In Rafah, hundreds of lawyers and other activists participated in a human chain in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike, urging international action to defend the rights of the prisoners.
Meanwhile, in Nablus, Palestinian former prisoners and long-term hunger strikers Khader Adnan and Mohammed Allan, as well as Palestinian Prisoners’ Committee coordinator Maher Harb, were attacked and then detained for several hours by Palestinian Authority security forces before being released, as they participated in a march to support the prisoners. The prisoners of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, the Democratic Front for the Liberation of Palestine and Islamic Jihad issued a message from Israeli prisons in support of Khader Adnan, denouncing “desperate attempts by some parties to incite against the activist Khader Adnan as a prelude to physical tageting,” and saying that Adnan is a symbol of unity and resistance who is threatened by the occupation.
As part of the protests on Thursday in support of the prisoners, Israeli occupation forces shot two Palestinians in the legs and wounded dozens more due to tear gas inhalation in al-Khalil on Thursday as Palestinian youth protested in support of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners. In Issawiya, occupation forces dismantled the solidarity tent set up in the village in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike, storming it and then confiscating the materials. In Shuafat refugee camp and Silwan, Israeli occupation forces attacked protesting Palestinian Jerusalemites supporting the hunger striking prisoners. One shop owner was reportedly seized by Israeli forces in the city of Jerusalem after Israeli occupation forces attempted to forcibly compel shop owners to break the strike and open their doors, which they refused.
Dozens of Palestinians in Jerusalem gathered at the headquarters of the ICRC in support of the hunger strikers, carrying posters and photos of the imprisoned Palestinians. A delegation from the families of prisoners from Jerusalem also delivered a message to the European Union mission in Jerusalem, urging immediate action to provide support for imprisoned Palestinians.
International actions also continued in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike. A number of Egyptian parliamentarians announced a symbolic hunger strike to support the Palestinian prisoners on strike, denouncing the ongoing international silence and complicity in the ongoing violation of prisoners’ rights. The parliamentarians urged fellow parliamentarians around the world to uphold their responsibilities to support justice for the Palestinian people. In the European Parliament, a number of deputies associated with the GUE/NGL (European United Left/Nordic Green Left) bloc stood in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike on Thursday.
In the United States, lawyers, legal workers and law students associated with the National Lawyers Guild carried out a one-day hunger strike in support of Palestinian prisoners, while students at the University of Manchester in the UK launched a solidarity strike with Palestinian prisoners. Events, protests and actions took place in Vancouver, Donegal, Armagh, Tampa, London, Siena, Vaxjo and elsewhere in support of the prisoners. Hundreds of members of the legal community also issued a statement in solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners, urging the immediate implementation of their demands.
Large protests are expected to continue today, Friday, following Friday prayers in Palestinian city centers and public squares with marches and demonstrations. Internationally, protests are scheduled for Belfast, Girona, Brussels, Dublin, New York City, London, Parma, Berlin, Montreal, Copenhagen, Albany and elsewhere in support of Palestinian prisoners.
On April 17, over 1,500 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails began a hunger strike under the slogan of “Freedom and Dignity.” Palestinian prisoners demand to abolish the judicial apartheid of indefinite detention without trial which has been imposed by Israeli state terror and to improve their living conditions (end of isolation, communication with relatives, medical care)
As Palestinian prisoners’ 13th day of hunger strike continued, 100 more prisoners joined the hunger strike in Megiddo prison, 
In the United States, lawyers, legal workers and law students associated with the National Lawyers Guild carried out a 