Imprisoned Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouthi, a member of the Fateh Central Committee and leader of the current Strike for Freedom and Dignity, is reportedly suffering serious deterioration to his health on his eighth day on hunger strike, as reported in multiple Palestinian media outlets.
Barghouthi launched the strike with 1500 fellow Palestinians on 17 April, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, with a list of demands including an end to the denial of family visits, appropriate medical care for Palestinian prisoners and an end to solitary confinement and administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial.
The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society and the Prisoners Affairs Commission reported that the director of Jalameh prison, where Barghouthi is held in solitary confinement along with other leaders of the strike, including Karim Younis, Kamil Abu Hanish, Anas Jaradat and Wajdi Jawdat, called for him to be taken to treatment immediately. However, Barghouthi reportedly refused any form of medical treatment.
Fellow hunger-striking prisoner Nasser Abu Hamid, also held in Jalameh prison, was asked by the director of the prison to convince Barghouthi to receive treatment; however, he refused to do so, after which Abu Hamid was transferred from Jalameh to Eshel prison.
The organizations noted that the Israeli occupation prison administration continues to bar lawyers from visiting prisoners since the beginning of the strike on 17 April, except for several visits in Ofer prison. Therefore, Palestinian and international organizations have limited ability to follow up or confirm these reports.
Qaddoura Fares of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society said in Ma’an News that Barghouthi is suffering from a sudden sharp drop in his blood sugar and blood pressure and has refused any treatment.
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network urges all supporters of Palestine and friends of justice to come together and stand with Palestinian prisoners striking for freedom and dignity, including participating in the Days of Action, 27-30 April 2017.
1) Organize or join an event in support of the hunger strikers. Protest outside your local Israeli embassy, consulate or mission, or at a public square or government building. You can drop a banner or put up a table to support the prisoners and their strike. See the list of current international events here, and add your own: send your events and actions to us at samidoun@samidoun.net, on Facebook, or use the form to tell us about your actions.
2) Hunger Strike for Justice! Join the Palestinian hunger strikers to support their demands with a symbolic one-day hunger strike in your community or on your campus. Tell us about your solidarity strike at samidoun@samidoun.net, on Facebook, or use the form.
3) Call your government officials and demand action. Call your foreign affairs officials – and members of parliament – and urge action for the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike.
Call your country’s officials urgently:
Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop: + 61 2 6277 7500
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland: +1-613-992-5234
European Union Commissioner Federica Mogherini: +32 (0) 2 29 53516
New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully: +64 4 439 8000
United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson: +44 20 7008 1500
United States President Donald Trump: 1-202-456-1111
Tell your government: Palestinian prisoners are on hunger strike for their basic human rights – for family visits, medical care, and freedom from imprisonment without charge or trial. Governments must pressure Israel to recognize the prisoners’ demands!
4) Take action on social media! Support the hunger strike on social media. Post a picture of yourself with a sign saying you support the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike! Include the hashtag #DignityStrike when posting your photo to Facebook or Twitter. Share and re-share information about the strike with the #DignityStrike hashtag.
5) Build the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign! Join the BDS Movement to highlight the complicity of corporations like Hewlett-Packard and the continuing involvement of G4S in Israeli policing and prisons. Build a campaign to boycott Israeli goods, impose a military embargo on Israel, or organize around the academic and cultural boycott of Israel.
Palestinian leftist organizer Shaher al-Rai was released after two years of imprisonment under “administrative detention” without charge or trial on Sunday, 23 April, where he was met with a warm reception in his home city of Qalqilya.
He was seized alongside fellow prominent Palestinian leftist Jamal Barham on 3 June 2015 in raids on their home by occupation military forces. Al-Rai was interrogated about “membership in an illegal organization,” the leftist Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, but he refused to confess; he was shortly thereafter ordered to administrative detention. He has been arrested seven times, including three stints in administrative detention, and imprisoned for over 12 years in total.
Al-Rai is married to Palestinian activist Manal al-Rai and they have three children, Jarrah, 24, Wajla, 20, and Kanaan, 5. Manal al-Rai spoke about the impact of her husband’s administrative detention on their young son in this video from Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association:
Earlier, Al-Rai was imprisoned by Palestinian Authority security forces for multiple years after he and his cousin were implicated in a false affidavit given by a Palestinian prisoner under Israeli torture. The confession was proven false by incontrovertible evidence and the Palestinian who made the confession under torture released and later compensated by Israeli intelligence, in an unusual case. Nevertheless, al-Rai remained held in PA prison for years after the discrediting of the confession, and released only after a widespread campaign.
Al-Rai was joined in the celebration of his release in Qalqilya by Yousef Shteiwi, released from Israeli prisons on Sunday evening, 23 April, after nine years in Israeli jails. Shteiwi spent four years in Israeli prison before being released in 2011 in the Wafa al-Ahrar prisoner exchange; only months later, in 2012, he was re-arrested and the five remaining years of his sentence reimposed.
Al-Rai and Shteiwi went to the prisoner support tent for the hunger strikers set up in Qalqilya to express their support for their 6,500 fellow prisoners trapped behind Israeli bars. “Popular support is important, when the streets rose up for our victory, the treatment of the prison administration changed, and we could see how the prison administration gave in to our demands,” Shteiwi said, urging action to support the hunger strikers.
At the same time, Palestinian prisoner support activist and journalist Osama Shaheen had his imprisonment without charge or trial renewed, as a new “administrative detention” order was issued for four months against him, for the third consecutive time. Shaheen, 34, has been imprisoned since 1 September 2016, when Israeli occupation forces invaded his home in al-Khalil, interrogating him about his role in prisoner support work before taking him to Ofer prison. He was swiftly ordered to administrative detention. Shaheen has spent in total over eight years in Israeli prisons; he is the director of the Palestine Center for Prisoners’ Studies.
Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike continue to be denied lawyers’ visits; only several prisoners held in Ofer prison have been able to receive visits from a lawyer. All of the other strikers, including the strike leaders held in isolation in Jalameh prison, have been denied legal visits since they launched their strike on 17 April. The strike, labeled the Strike for Freedom and Dignity, calls for a series of demands, including an end to the denial of family visits, a public pay telephone in each prison wing for family phone calls, proper medical care, and the end of solitary confinement and “administrative detention,” imprisonment without charge or trial. Palestinian lawyers continued their boycott of Israeli occupation military courts for the fourth day in response to the denial of legal visits.
Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike – who consume only salt and water – have reported confiscation of salt by the prison administration as well as refusal to provide packaged water or allow access to the “canteen,” prison store. A series of hunger strike leaders, including Marwan Barghouthi, Karim Younis, Anas Jaradat, Kamil Abu Hanish, Nader Sadaqa and Wajdi Jawdat, have been transferred to solitary confinement in Jalameh prison, while in many prisons, strkers have been moved into isolation. Yesterday, hunger-striker Khaled Salahat Abu Bader was moved to solitary confinement in Gilboa prison.
Palestinian prisoners also reported that medical authorities within the prisons are attempting to frighten and intimidate prisoners from joining the strike, including distributing a leaflet among prisoners warning them of the dangers of sudden death, kidney damage and hair loss associated with hunger striking. However, new groups of prisoners continue to join the strike, including 25 joining today from the Ramon prison, reported Issa Qaraqe of the Prisoners’ Affairs Commission.
Palestinian popular solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners continued to grow, as the Fateh movement and others called for a “day of rage” on Friday, 28 April and large groups of Palestinian political, social and community organizations called a general strike on Thursday, 27 April, to shut down all commerce and business in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike and their demands. In addition, the hunger strike has provoked stronger implementation of the boycott of Israeli goods, including a boycott day of action on Tuesday, 25 April and volunteer visits to markets with posters and information about boycotting all Israeli products in the market.
On Sunday, activities and protests continued throughout Palestine, in Yatta, Jerusalem, Bir Saba, Nablus, Ramallah, Qalqilya, Gaza, Jenin, Jericho, Bethlehem, al-Khalil, Salfit and throughout occupied Palestine. Palestinian judges held a sit-in outside the judicial complex in Ramallah and all local courts in solidarity with the striking prisoners. Today in Palestine, marches in Ramallah and el-Bireh will proceed to the Yasser Arafat roundabout before a car caravan protest to Beitunia; in Bethlehem, a human chain in Manger Square will support the strikers. In al-Khalil, a solidarity event will rally for the hunger-striking prisoners while in Nablus, families of the prisoners will gather in the solidarity tent. In ‘Ara, occupied Palestine ’48, a poetry reading will stand with the prisoners.
Internationally, protests and actions in support of the prisoners convened in Beirut, Chicago, and Milan among other locations, while international events will take place on Monday, 24 April in Portland, Athens and Johannesburg, South Africa, where a new South African initiative in support of the prisoners will be announced. The Arab Parliamentarians Union expressed its support to the hunger strikers as did German parliamentarian Annette Groth, who said:
“I emphatically express my solidarity with those protesting hungerstrikers, who are committed to adequate and humane detention conditions in Israeli prisons. The abuse and torture committed in these places must come to an immediate end, the Israeli authorities and the Israeli government must ensure proper medical treatment and nutrition for the prisoners, along with access to education, family visits and the unconditional cessation of solitary confinement, which should really go without saying….I call upon the Federal Government to insist that their Israeli partners put an end to the often random arresting of Palestinians and to introduce humane treatment in prisons. In particular, adherence to the Convention on the Rights of the Child must have the highest priority here!”
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network is urging the organizing of events and actions from Thursday, 27 April through Sunday, 30 April as part of a comprehensive weekend of action and solidarity with the Palestinian prisoners’ strike.
Over 1,500 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails have been on hunger strike since 17 April 2017. The demands of the Strike for Freedom and Dignity are straightforward: for their basic human rights – to no longer be denied family visits, to have the ability to contact their families via telephone, to receive appropriate medical care, to not be subject to isolation or to imprisonment without charge or trial under “administrative detention.” Palestinians across political lines have joined the strike, urging dedicated action for the prisoners’ victory.
Since they began their strike, these prisoners have been subject to a campaign of repression, including the denial of family visits, the denial of legal visits, prohibition of group prayer on Fridays, confiscation of clothing and belongings and the transfer of many prisoners to isolation and solitary confinement. A series of strike leaders, including Marwan Barghouthi – subject to retaliatory punishment for his article in the New York Times – Karim Younes, Kamil Abu Hanish, Anas Jaradat and Wajdi Jawdat have been thrown in solitary confinement in Jalameh prison.
Nevertheless, their strike continues and they have vowed to pursue their protest until they achieve their demands. Consuming only salt and water, their bodies and lives are on the line for freedom and dignity.
Throughout Palestine, people have taken to the streets in mass demonstrations, rallies and solidarity tents to support the hunger strikers. Internationally, dozens of cities around the world have organized events and actions in solidarity with the striking prisoners. From Lannemezan prison in France, imprisoned Lebanese struggler Georges Abdallah has launched a three-day hunger strike along with Basque and Arab fellow prisoners to support the Palestinian strikers, while numerous international organizations have urged the implementation of the strikers’ demands.
Palestinian organizations in Palestine have called for a general strike on Thursday, 27 April; others have called for a “day of rage” on Friday, 28 April to confront the Israeli occupation in support of the prisoners. Many organizations around the world have already organized events on these days, with actions already scheduled to take place in Vancouver, Canada; County Donegal, County Armagh, Belfast and Dublin, Ireland; New York, NY, US; Brussels, Belgium; London, UK; Parma and Padua, Italy; Girona, Spain; Paris, France, with many more to come.
We urge all supporters of Palestine and friends of justice to come together to take action from 27 April to 30 April and stand with Palestinian prisoners striking for freedom and dignity!
1) Organize or join an event in support of the hunger strikers. Protest outside your local Israeli embassy, consulate or mission, or at a public square or government building. You can drop a banner or put up a table to support the prisoners and their strike. See the list of current international events here, and add your own: send your events and actions to us at samidoun@samidoun.net, on Facebook, or use the form to tell us about your actions.
2) Hunger Strike for Justice! Join the Palestinian hunger strikers to support their demands with a symbolic one-day hunger strike in your community or on your campus. Tell us about your solidarity strike at samidoun@samidoun.net, on Facebook, or use the form.
3) Call your government officials and demand action. Call your foreign affairs officials – and members of parliament – and urge action for the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike.
Call your country’s officials urgently:
Australian Minister of Foreign Affairs Julie Bishop: + 61 2 6277 7500
Canadian Foreign Minister Chrystia Freeland: +1-613-992-5234
European Union Commissioner Federica Mogherini: +32 (0) 2 29 53516
New Zealand Minister of Foreign Affairs Murray McCully: +64 4 439 8000
United Kingdom Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson: +44 20 7008 1500
United States President Donald Trump: 1-202-456-1111
Tell your government: Palestinian prisoners are on hunger strike for their basic human rights – for family visits, medical care, and freedom from imprisonment without charge or trial. Governments must pressure Israel to recognize the prisoners’ demands!
4) Take action on social media! Support the hunger strike on social media. Post a picture of yourself with a sign saying you support the Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike! Include the hashtag #DignityStrike when posting your photo to Facebook or Twitter. Share and re-share information about the strike with the #DignityStrike hashtag.
5) Build the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions Campaign! Join the BDS Movement to highlight the complicity of corporations like Hewlett-Packard and the continuing involvement of G4S in Israeli policing and prisons. Build a campaign to boycott Israeli goods, impose a military embargo on Israel, or organize around the academic and cultural boycott of Israel.
County Donegal, Ireland – 6:30 pm, Station Road Roundabout, Letterkenny, Donegal: Support the Palestinian Hunger Strikers Vigil. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/194265191084239/ Organized by Donegal Awareness for Palestine
County Armagh, Ireland – 7:30 pm, Garvaghy Road, Portadown: Vigil in Solidarity with the Palestinian Hunger Strikers. Organized by the Ireland Palestine Solidarity Campaign.
Tampa, Florida, USA – All Day, 24 Hour Hunger Strike for #PalHunger. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1848333452094174/ Organized by Block the Boat Tampa, Florida Peace Action Network, Food Not Bombs
Manchester, UK – Launch of Student Hunger Strike, Manchester, UK: Hunger Strike for Palestine. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/791608477673651/ Organized by Recognize Refugee Rights and BDS Campaign – University of Manchester
London, UK – 4:30 pm to 7 pm, Kentish Town, London: Palestinian Prisoner Protest. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/251061031967261/ Organized by Cadfa (Camden Abu Dis Friendship Association)
Siena, Italy – 4 pm to 7 pm, Piazza Antonio Gramsci, Siena: Siena for Gaza with the Palestinian prisoners. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/150968285436406/ Organized by L’Altra Europa and Si Toscana a Sinistra.
Friday, 28 April
Belfast, Ireland – 5 pm to 10 am Saturday 29 April, Old Andersonstown Barracks Site, Falls Road, Belfast: Freedom and Dignity Vigil. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/207587066411186/ Organized by Socialist Republicans for Palestine
Girona, Spanish state – 6 pm, Pont de Pedra, Girona: Solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on Hunger Strike! Organized by BDS Catalonia, BDS Girona
Brussels, Belgium – 5 pm, Carrefour de l’Europe (near Gare central), Brussels: Rally to support Palestinian Prisoners. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1906291959641425/ Organized by Association Belgo-Palestinienne, Palestina Solidariteit
Dublin, Ireland – 5 pm, GPO, O’Connell Street, Dublin: Dublin Freedom and Dignity Vigil. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/103190163580006/ Organized by Socialist Republicans for Palestine
New York, NY, USA – 5:30 pm, Best Buy Union Square, 52 E. 14th Street, New York City: Protest to support the hunger strike and stop HP. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/424742754552584/ Organized by Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network
London, UK – 3:30 pm to 5:30 pm, Charing Cross Road next to St-Martin-in-the-Fields in Trafalgar Square, London: Vigil in Solidarity with Palestinian Prisoners Hunger Strike. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/415527582163715/ Organized by Inminds
Parma, Italy – 8:30 pm, Il Pedale Veloce, Borgo Bernabei 29, 43100 Parma: Occupation, Repression and Resistance in Palestine. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/273546809759141/ Organized by Gruppo Azione Palestina.
Berlin, Germany – 7 pm, von Wittenbergplatz bis Joachimstaler Str, Berlin: Solidarity with Hunger-Striking Palestinian Prisoners. Organized by the Palestinian National Action Committee in Berlin.
Saturday, 29 April
Paris, France – 2 pm to 5:30 pm, Place de la Republique, Paris: Rally for the Palestinian Prisoners. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/202604946912253/ Organized by GUPS France, CAPJPO-EuroPalestine and more
Athens, Greece – 10:30 am, Gather on Patission near Panepistimiou, march to Syntagma Square and then to Israeli Embassy, Athens: Support Palestinian Political Prisoners. Organized by Popular Unity.
Liege, Belgium – 12 pm, Place Saint-Paul, Liege: Solidarity with Palestinian Prisoners on Hunger Strike. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1298181800259724/ Organized by Association Belgo-Palestinienne-Liege.
Tuesday, 2 May
Athens, Greece – 6:00 pm, Israeli Embassy (Kifissias Av) 2 Triti, Athens: Protest in solidarity with Palestinian Prisoners. For more information: https://athens.indymedia.org/post/1572308/ Organized by Solidarity Meeting on Palestinian Prisoners on Hunger Strike
Wednesday, 3 May
Turin, Italy – 5 pm to 8 pm, Campus Luigi Einaudi, Lungo Dora Siena 100, Turin: Palestinian Political Prisoners – meeting with Myassar Atyani. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/1884362401802715/ Organized by Progetto Palestina
Friday, 5 May
Dublin, Ireland – 6 pm, O’Connell Bridge, Dublin: Palestinian Hunger Strike Solidarity/1981 Black Flag Vigil. For more information: https://www.facebook.com/events/659119907622292/ Organized by eirigi.
Saturday, 6 May
Stuttgart, Germany – 4 pm to 6 pm, Konigstrasse Ecke Marstallstrasse, Stuttgart: Solidarity with Palestinian Prisoners on Hunger Strike.
Please add your own local actions to this list! Email us atsamidoun@samidoun.net, on Facebook, or use the form to tell us about your actions. Building this strong list of actions around the world will help to underline the global support for Palestinian political prisoners in their struggle for freedom, and the struggle of the Palestinian people for liberation.
The following report was translated from the original Arabic; Ofer prison is the only prison where Palestinian hunger strikers have been able to receive visits from Palestinian lawyers:
Farah Bayadseh, a Palestinian lawyer affiliated with Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association, visited with two Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Ofer prison on 23 April 2017. Fadi Abu Attiya and Louay al-Mansi began their strike at the beginning of the collective strike on 17 April 2017. On the second day of the strike they were removed from Section 15 in Ofer prison to Section 11 in the same prison.
The two strikers said that all of the strikers in Ofer – 119 prisoners in total – were transferred to Section 11 of the prison. The section contains 12 rooms, each with ten prisoners. All of the prisoners have been stripped of their possessions; only one blanket has been kept for each prisoners and one set of clothing in addition to the “Shabas clothing” or prison uniform. Prison adminisration also seized salt in the first days of the strike, and strikers have had to drink water from the tap as the administration does not provide them with drinking water.
The prison administration has also imposed several punitive sanctions on the hunger-striking prisoners. The most important of these is the denial of family visits, as well as the denial of recreation, denial of access to the “canteen” (prison store), and prohibition from participating in group prayers on Friday. They are also banned from washing their personal clothing and undergarments, so the prisoners boycotted the medical examinations to check their heartbeat, blood pressure and weight to put pressure on the administration to allow them to wash their undergarments.
The striking prisoners’ section was searched twice, first on 20 April 2017 at 5 a.m., when special units broke into the section and inspected rooms three and four. The second time, on 21 April 2017, they inspected rooms one and six; the inspections continued for about an hour on both occasions.
The Lebanese Arab struggler for Palestine, Georges Ibrahim Abdallah, in his 33rd year of imprisonment in French prisons, announced from Lannemezan prison on Monday, 24 April that beginning on Monday and going for three days, he will launch a hunger strike in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners.
He will be joined in the strike by his Basque comrades in Lannemezan prison as well as several Moroccan, Algerian and Tunisian fellow prisoners inside the jail.
Approximately 1,500 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails have been engaged in a collective hunger strike launched on 17 April. Today, they begin their second week of hunger strike for a series of demands, including an end to the denial of family visits, proper medical treatment for Palestinian prisoners and an end to solitary confinement and administrative detention, imprisonment without charge or trial.
Leaders of the strike, including Marwan Barghouthi, Karim Younis, Kamil Abu Hanish, Anas Jaradat and Wajdi Jawdat, have been thrown into solitary confinement in Jalameh prison while nearly across the board, Palestinian hunger strikers are being denied family visits, legal visits and are subject to abusive raids and inspections at all hours.
Imprisoned since 1984 in French prisons, Georges Ibrahim Abdallah is a Lebanese Communist Arab struggler for Palestine, imprisoned in French jails for 32 years despite being eligible for release since 1999. The US, Israeli and French states have come together to attempt to block all efforts to secure his freedom. He has previously launched hunger strikes in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners, including last year’s 71-day hunger strike by Palestinian prisoner Bilal Kayed, ordered to administrative detention (imprisonment without charge or trial) after the expiration of his 14.5 year sentence.
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network salutes Georges Ibrahim Abdallah and his imprisoned comrades for their tremendous action of solidarity behind bars, once again underlining Abdallah’s role as a leader in the Palestinian prisoners’ movement and his undiminished commitment to struggle despite decades behind bars. Victory and freedom for Georges Abdallah and all Palestinian prisoners!
New York City demonstrators gathered on Friday, 21 April outside the Best Buy electronics store in Union Square to express their solidarity with the 1,500 Palestinian prisoners engaged in an open hunger strike for freedom and dignity.
Organized by Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network, the protest expressed solidarity with the hunger strikers and called for immediate implementation of their demands and the release of all Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Over 1,500 Palestinian prisoners launched a hunger strike on 17 April, Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, to address their basic rights and demand an end to inhumane treatment by the Israeli occupation. Named the Strike of Freedom and Dignity, the hunger strike aims to put an end to the denial of family visits, secure medical treatment for ill prisoners, stop abusive treatment in transfers and end solitary confinement and administrative detention, the imprisonment of Palestinians without charge or trial.
Demonstrators also highlighted the complicity of Hewlett-Packard (HP) in Israeli occupation, apartheid, colonialism and imprisonment, calling on Best Buy shoppers to boycott HP products until the corporation ends its contracts with the Israeli state, including the Israel Prison Service. HP is also involved in creating ID mechanisms, databases and the technology of Israeli apartheid at checkpoints and the wall.
Participants distributed flyers and information to passers-by about the situation of Palestinian prisoners and the growing international boycott against HP, while chanting for freedom and justice for Palestine and for Palestinian prisoners. “One, two, three, four, open up the prison door; five, six, seven, eight, smash the settler Zionist state,” chanted demonstrators.
On Sunday, April 17 – the 43rd annual Palestinian Prisoners’ Day – 1,500 Palestinian political prisoners held by Israel launched the “Freedom and Dignity” hunger strike, their largest in five years.
Since the strike began, Israeli jailers have placed many of its leaders in solitary confinement, transferred its participants between prisons and conducted raids of hunger-striking sections.
The Palestinian prisoners’ movement and its supporters have called for international mobilization to help the strikers win their demands for family visits, adequate medical care and other basic improvements.
On Friday, the Fatah movement has called for a “day of rage” against Israeli occupation forces “everywhere across our homeland”.
Rally in support of over 1000 Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike to protest their inhumane conditions of detentions inside Israeli jails.
FR:
Rassemblement en soutien au millier de prisonniers palestiniens en grève de la faim.
Rendez-vous à 17H, carrefour de l’ Europe ( en face de la gare centrale )
Plus d’un millier de prisonniers politiques palestiniens en grève de la faim pour protester contre leurs conditions de détentions inhumaines dans les prisons israéliennes.
NL :
Staande manifestatie in solidariteit met de palestijnse gevangenen
28 april 17 uur Europakruispunt
Meer dan 1000 Palestijnse politieke gevangenen zijn in hongerstaking om te protesteren tegen de mensonwaardige leefomstandigheden in de Israëlische gevangenissen
Solidarity with Palestinian Hunger Strikers, Belfast, Occupied Ireland, Friday April 28, 5pm! Support the Strike for Dignity!
Palestinian Hunger Strike
On Palestinian Prisoners’ Day, 17th April 1500 men and women embarked upon a hunger strike in prisons that are nothing more than torture chambers.
The strike comes under the slogan ‘Freedom and Dignity’ and they have basic demands such as regular family visits, appropriate medical care and the ending of solitary confinement. Their gaolers have consistently been criticised by human rights organisations but the Zionists continue to ignore them.
Here in Ireland we are only too familiar with the treatment of political prisoners and especially at this time which is the 36th anniversary of the hunger strike in which ten of our brave comrades died in the pursuit of five just demands.
For years we have stood with the oppressed in many countries and none more so than the Palestinian people and their imprisoned political prisoners.
A group of Irish Republican Socialists, from a number of different organisations and none, came together this week and decided we have to do something to highlight the injustice that still prevails in Israeli held gaols.It is not good enough for us sit at home saying how terrible the situation is. We believe that if the Irish people take to the streets it will encourage those in prison and if others throughout the world join with us in protest it will send a resounding message to the oppressors that we will not stand by and let men and women die for basic demands that should be afforded everyone.
We are calling on people to join us at a vigil at the old Andersonstown RUC barracks site. The vigil will start on Friday 28th April at 5pm and continue until 10am the next day. This will be a non-party event and we will be calling all to respect the site and not to bring food or to make a mess.
We the undersigned fully support the Palestinians on hunger strike and call for an immediate resolution to the ongoing issues they have to endure
Pádraic MacCoitir, Alex McCrory, Pól Torbóid, Tarlach MacDhónaill,Joanne Ní Donnghaile,Máire Óg Drumm, Bernard Fox, Martine Jackson, Darren Madden, Veronica Martin, Daniel McDonough, John McKinney,Aindriú MacRuaidhrí, Dee Fennell, Michael McKee,Cliodhna Níc Giolla Phádraig, Patrick Madden, Rab Jackson, Éamonn Digney,Jackie Bradley, Francis Brennan, Éamonn Ó Cleirigh,Kevin Hillick,, Harry Fitzsimmons, Martin Livingstone, Jean Madden, Aodh Ó hUrmaltaigh, Mary Clinton, Bernard McCrory, Liam McCotter, Tomás Fox, Sharon Pickering, Billy McKee, Damhnaic MacEochaidh,, Daithí Delaney, Brian Madden,Teresa Fitzsimons,Gary Kearney, Jackie McCotter, Martin McCrory, Míchéal Fitzsimons, Kevin Hannaway, Caoimhín Hillick Concetta Osborne,Gerard Hodgkins, Davy Clinton, Liam Martin, Clare Bradley, Francie McGuigan, Ann McCorry-Bell, Anthony Quinn JimmyMartin,James Osborne, Paul Finnegan, Stephen Cunninham, Alex Óg McCrory, Angie McFall, Ivor Bell, Robert Jackson, John Livingstone, Aiden Digney, Jim McDonald,Michael Nelson, Siobhán Hillick, Bridget McDonald, Réamann Ó Duibhginn. Nuala Perry, Joe Brannigan, Risteárd Pádraic Ó Murchú, Liam McAuley, Albert Allen,Debbie Cush, Seán Hannaway, Seán Clinton, Micky McAuley, Ciarán O’Brien,Seán Cahill, Danielle Meighan
Imprisoned Palestinian political leader Marwan Barghouthi, a member of the Fateh Central Committee and leader of the current Strike for Freedom and Dignity, is reportedly suffering serious deterioration to his health on his eighth day on hunger strike, as reported in multiple Palestinian media outlets.
As Palestinian prisoners enter their second week of hunger strike, the approximately 
The Lebanese Arab struggler for Palestine, 
On Sunday, April 17 – the 43rd annual Palestinian Prisoners’ Day – 1,500 Palestinian political prisoners held by Israel launched the “Freedom and Dignity” hunger strike, their 
Solidarity with Palestinian Hunger Strikers, Belfast, Occupied Ireland, Friday April 28, 5pm! Support the Strike for Dignity!