Bilal Mohammad Mahmoud Odeh, 35, a Palestinian prisoner from Jerusalem, entered his 12th year in occupation prisons on August 8, 2013. He was arrested on August 8, 2001 and sentenced to 18 years in Israeli prisons, on charges of belonging to the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Odeh is currently held in Nafha prison, where he has participated in all collective hunger strikes and events of struggle in the occupation prisons. He received his master’s degree in prison despite the many obstacles to prisoners pursuing their education.
Before his arrest, he was long involved in challenging the occupation, and comes from a family with a long lineage of struggle in the Palestinian movement.
Bilal engaged in a lengthy battle to defend his home from Israeli policies of land confiscation and home demolitions in Jerusalem against Palestinians. In one example, his family was prohibited from building a second story on their home in Jerusalem, denied permits for years by the Israeli occupation. Bilal set about building a second story nonetheless, with materials repeatedly confiscated and concrete additions removed by the occupation authorities. He then proceeded to construct a large wooden and canvas “tent” on the roof of his family home, serving as a “second story.” After a series of battles over the tent, it stood for five years before the family won their permit to build.
Speaking of this event, he said, “I wanted to build the tent, engage in this struggle, because then the conflict with the occupation is that we want to build, and they want to stop us from building. If we don’t build – then the struggle will be over them demolishing our homes.”
Ayman Hamdan and Imad al-Batran, Palestinian prisoners held without charge or trial under administrative detention who have been on hunger strike for 105 and 96 days respectively as of August 10, 2013, are suffering serious deterioration of their health, reported Palestinian lawyer Fadi Obeidat.
Both are held at Assaf Harofe hospital; Hamdan has been on strike since April 28 and detained since August 22, 2012. Obeidat reported that he is suffering low blood pressure, low heart rate, vitamin deficiency and weakening of the heart muscle. Hamdan has been hospitalised since 26 June 2013 and takes water, sugar, salt and vitamins. He lost 22 Kg of his weight, according to Obeidat.
Hamdan told the lawyer that his movement has become difficult and suffers from general weakness, dizziness and head as well as joint aches. He added that despite all this he is determined to continue with his hunger strike until his administrative detention is revoked.
The lawyer also met with Imad al-Batran and noticed serious deterioration in his health. Batran told the lawyer that he suffers from low heart rate (40 per minute) and takes medicine to regulate his heart. He suffers from general weakness, hair loss, insomnia and dryness of the eyes. Batran has been held without charge or trial under administrative detention since November 18, 2011; he has been on hunger strike demanding his release since May 7, 2013, the most recent renewal of his administrative detentin.
A hearing was scheduled for August 8, 2013, on a petition for Batran’s release submitted by his lawyers, which is now being considered by the Supreme Court.
Israel released Omar Barghouti, the currently longest-serving Palestinian administrative detainee on Wednesday, August 7, after 34 months of imprisonment without charges or trial.
Barghouti, age 60, is from the town of Kobar near Ramallah in the occupied West Bank.
The Ahrar Center for Prisoners’ Studies and Human Rights notes that Barghouti had spent nearly 26 years of his life in Israeli prisons in repeated arrests.
Omar Barghouti’s brother is the former longest-serving Palestinian prisoner, Nael Barghouti, who spent 34 years in occupation jails. Omar is the father of four children; his son Asim is currently serving an 11-year sentence in prison.
Addameer Prisoner Support & Human Rights Association lawyer Fares Ziad recently visited three of the twelve Palestinian political prisoners currently on hunger strike in Israeli jails. Ziad confirmed that the health of all three continue to rapidly deteriorate, with one hunger striker savagely beaten by five Israeli soldiers. All three have been on hunger strike for 99 days.
On August 4th, 5th and 6th Ziad visited Mohammad Rimawi in Suroka Hospital in Beer Sheva and confirmed that Rimawi stopped taking vitamins, water and minerals on 4 August. Rimawi is suffering from severe problems in liver and kidney function, general weakness, fatigue and dizziness and is unable to walk without assistance.
On 5 August Mohammad was informed that he would be moved to another section within the hospital. Upon enquiring about the reasons for the proposed move Rimawi had his hands and legs shackled and was then thrown on the ground and savagely beaten by five Israeli soldiers who were guarding him. Ziad confirmed that that the bruises on Rimawi are still clearly visible.
Following the attack Mohammad was moved to another section within the prison and shackled to the bed. He was then visited by an Israeli officer who threatened to force feed him if he continues his strike, while also threatening to move him to isolation in Ramon prison without providing any medical treatment until he dies in his cell. When Rimawi told the officer about the recent attack he was told he didn’t care and that they can treat him with violence and force due to the lack of international attention on his case, particularly from Jordan.
Rimawi subsequently told the head of hospital department where he being held in about the threats he had received from the Israeli officer. The hospital official, who is also a doctor, told Rimawi that as long as he is conscious nobody can force feed him but once he loses consciousness doctors can do whatever it takes to keep him alive, even without Rimawi’s permission.
Mr. Fares also visited Abdullah Barghouthi who is currently being held in Affoulah hospital. He remains in critical condition, and suffers from a number of ailments including problems with his liver, low blood pressure and constant migraines. He is also unable to walk without assistance and is taking only water, salt and mineral supplements. Currently Barghouthi is shackled to a bed by his right hand and his left foot and is guarded by three Israeli soldiers. Like his fellow hunger strike Barghouti has been threatened with force feeding should he fall into a coma.
Fellow hunger striker Ala’ Hammad is also being held in Suroka Hospital in Beer Sheva and was until recently being held in the same room as Mohammad Rimawi. Hammad remains in critical condition. On 5 August Hammad fainted and remained unconscious for five hours, without the guards calling a doctor. After finally receiving treatment Hammad regained consciousness.
All three hunger strikers hold Jordanian citizenship and are demanding to be released from Israeli prisons to serve the remainder of their sentences in Jordan in line with previous agreements between Israel and Jordan. Addameer again calls on the international community to immediately intervene to save the lives of all hunger strikers and pressure Israel to abide by its legal obligations. Addameer condemns the treatment to which hunger strikers are subjected to, particularly the physical abuse and the threats of force feeding which according to the World Medical Association’s Declaration on Malta states ‘is never ethically acceptable’.
Samidoun is a signatory to the following letter from Students Against Israeli Apartheid at York University in Toronto. SAIA York instituted a successful BDS campaign at the university, which culminated in the endorsement of the York Federation of Students (YFS) for university divestment from corporations complicit in the occupation of Palestine. They have faced a series of events of administrative sanction and repression following their successful campaign. This protest letter, to York University Vice President Janet Morrison, was initiated by SAIA York and signed by US, Canadian and international organizations:
PFLP poster of hunger striking prisoner, Mohammad Rimawi
The Campaign to Free Ahmad Sa’adat reported on August 5 that prisoners affiliated with the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine are calling for the leadership of the national and Islamic forces to meet urgently to plan actions to support the Jordanian prisoners on hunger strike, including the PFLP leader Mohammad Rimawi. The prisoners, who began refusing food on May 2, have now been striking for over three months. In a statement released from inside occupation prisons, the PFLP prisoners said that “silence on this national and human issue is complicity in the crime, and increases the suffering of the prisoners.”
The statement accused the Jordanian government and the Palestinian Authority of ignoring the issue of the strikers, and called on the masses of the Palestinian and Jordanian people to engage in urgent popular action to pressure them to be compelled to intervene, in order to save the prisoners’ lives from the threat of death.
The prisoners’ statement said that the striking prisoners, Abdullah Barghouthi, Mohammad Rimawi, Hamza Othman al-Dabbas, Muneer Mar’i and Alaa Hammad are suffering from dehydration and persistent headaches, and have lost a significant amount of weight. They have threatened to stop drinking water, if there is no response to their just demands. The five are all Palestinian political prisoners who carry Jordanian citizenship. They have three demands:
1. That they be released from Israeli prisons and serve their sentences in Jordanian prisons according to the Wadi Araba Agreement between Jordan and Israel. This agreement was previously applied to the case of prisoner Sultan Al-Ajouli, who was transferred to Jordanian custody in accordance with the agreement.
2. That the Occupation disclose the whereabouts of missing Jordanian prisoners, of which there are 20.
3. That the Occupation remove martyrs from the ‘numbered graves’, where prisoners who died in custody are currently kept in nameless graves.
The statement from the PFLP prisoners particularly warned against a serious deterioration of the health of Mohammad Rimawi, who is currently at Soroka Hospital. He suffers from many chronic diseases and is at risk of a sudden heart attack if action is not taken. The prisoners criticized the official handling of this issue, saying that it does not meet the level of response that is necessary.
The prisoners warned they are following the status of the strikers on a constant basis and there is a state of emergency in various prisons to launch a series of events. They noted that last Friday and Saturday, prisoners in the south held a partial hunger strike, which will then move to all the occupation prisons, and closed by saying they hoped to see this lead to a mass strike to be considered seriously by all national and Islamic factions.
Hassan Karajah is a Palestinian youth activist, the Youth Coordinator of the Grassroots Campaign to Stop the Wall, and a human rights defender with a long record of organizing and public activism with the Partnership for Development Project, an umbrella group for Tamer Institution, Ma’an Development Centre and Bissan Centre for Research and Development, and the Arab Thought Forum. He gave an interview before his detention in which he saluted political prisoners’ struggle, saying that “their struggle has given us a model of steadfastness and the certainty that if we stand up united, we can win, step by step, our freedom and national self-determination.”
Imprisoned after a late-night raid on his home in January 2013, he is now faced with political charges (of membership in a prohibited organization, the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, and connections with the Lebanese resistance) based on event attendance and travel to Lebanon.
He worked closely with international solidarity activists as part of Stop the Wall, and called for people of the world to act for Palestine: “We do expect a lot from the people around the world. We know that many understand and support our struggle. We need to work closer together and ensure that our actions are better coordinated and we grow stronger and more effective in pressuring companies and governments around the world to stop their complicit silence and their support to Israel, whether at an economic, political or cultural level.” On July 30, Addameer released his letter, below, addressed to the free world (here, in Arabic):
To all of my friends everywhere in the world….to each person in solidarity… to all who care about the cause of prisoners…to all who believe in the justice of our cause, Palestine, who cherish peace, love, the steadfastness of the prisoners, and the sweet scent of freedom, I say:
“The wheat, when it is spread on the land, some will be crushed by feet and die, some will be eaten by birds, and some makes it to the earth, and then rain comes, and with the first appearance of the sun, the wheat comes as a positive omen of the continuation of life.”
Dear all, know that I miss you and I’m eager to see you all. What prevents me from this is the Zionist occupation’s detention, which it uses against me as it did against the sons and daughters of our people 65 years ago. However, if this is for the freedom of Palestine, our land and our rights, I am prepared to bear this, and I am sure that you are willing to continue in the same way.
In these moments, when I am writing to you and imagine all of your souls around me as my soul greets you, I do not exclude any of you. I cannot say each of your names for one reason – we have a shortage of stationery in the prisons, such as pens and paper. By these shortages, the prison administration intends to besiege the prisoners and deprive us of education. You know that this is a drop in the sea in terms of the practices of oppressing us and attempting to break our steadfastness – which they will never do. I wrote to you special notes in notebooks, but those are confiscated by the prison administration before they reach you, so I send you my smile each day with the sun to welcome it.
If you ask me, I am fine and healthy, despite the denial of proper treatment and medical negligence practiced against all prisoners without exception. But morally, my morale soars above the wind, for which there is one main reason: you have always stood beside me.
I have not forgotten all of my friends everywhere, although I do not see you at this time, but your images have not been erased from my mind. Your principles will not be separated from mine, our convictions are united, and what you believe is what I believe. The walls of the prison have not changed this; they did not and will not be able to stop me from loving you more. I still meet with you in the land of sad oranges*; Um Sa’ad is still our mother**; and I am sure that you will still hear banging on the walls of the tank*** that will not cease until all of the refugees return to their homes, and the homes of their grandfathers. We will not stop pounding on the walls of the tank and other walls – until every friend will be able to visit Palestine, its land, water, air and the entire national soil.
This period will not last long. We will keep this belief, because belief generates hope, hope generates work, and work is the road to freedom – the freedom that has no equivalent but itself.**** This work must be collective, and no matter how small, will have an impact. Small steps, once they are together, become an army, and a noble morning. We have a noble army, an army of an idea, the army that trusts its people as much as I trust in our people and their limitless potential.
We come from inside our cells and the prison walls to the world through books. We read, and become part of the characters that tell those stories and novels, and they make doors that take us out of the darkness of the prison. This is why the occupation attempts, by various practices, means and procedures, to prevent books from being introduced to the prisoners.
When I received the news that many of my ideas and dreams have become reality because you have done the work, I am certain that I have not yet been imprisoned. I see the continuation of my work in your existence. I saw my freedom in your eyes. I heard my voice in yours. They have imprisoned the body, but they could not jail the idea and will not be able to do so.
Here, we draw our energy to continue from you. We, the newly detained prisoners, our hearts are full of happiness when, while being transported from prisons to court, we meet prisoners we have heard about for decades, whose photos and posters we have carried in the streets, prisoners from whom we learned our readiness to struggle since childhood.
In conclusion, I affirm to you that they will never be able to bring about our end. We are stronger than they are able to weaken us. We are higher than they are able to lower us. We are deeper than they are able to reach us. We continue.
I say to you at the end of this message – I will see you soon. I will come out as you have known me and better, and I will greet you with the single word, “Freedom.”
Sheikh Khader Adnan, former prisoner and hunger striker, admonished official Palestinian bodies and institutions in a press conference on Sunday, August 4, saying that they have turned their back on Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike.
He urged Palestinians in Jerusalem, the West Bank, Gaza, occupied Palestine ’48 and diaspora to play their role in the battle of dignity, across party and factional lines. He also urged Palestinian media to play a responsible role and publicize and mobilize the people around the prisoners’ struggle. Adnan particularly concentrated on the responsibility of the official Palestine TV, as the Israeli authorities do not allow other satellite channels to be broadcast inside the prison.
The press conference, held at Wattan Media Center under the slogan “The banner of the hunger strikers shall not fall,” highlighted former prisoners and the family members of current prisoners. He emphasized that the strikers and prisoners must know that they have support on the outside and that they have not been forgotten.
Adnan emphasized the role of the Palestinian resistance organizations, saying that “I call on the Palestinian resistance to take a role in the defense of its people against the jailer, and that the resistance should mobilize and take action to the occupation how valuable are the lives and freedom of our prisoners.”
Adnan described the suffering experienced by the prisoners, focusing on the cases of Dirar Abu Sisi and Mahmoud Zahran, held in isolation; Moatassam Raddad and Lena Jarbouni, suffering from serious illness; and Ayman Hamdan, now approaching 100 days of hunger strike.
He saluted Mohammad Tabeesh, who has been on hunger strike for 65 days in solidarity with his brother Ayman al-Tabeesh, standing against administrative detention, and noted that there are prisoners in the Israeli jails whose strikes we are unaware of, saying that we learned about the strikes of Mahmoud and Omar Tallahma only after they were on strike for 20 days. He urged all to pray for the prisoners on the night of Laylat al-Qadr (Night of Power), and saluted the 14 strikers: Ayman Hamdan, Abdullah Barghouthi, Muneer Mar’i, Alaa Hammad, Mohammad Rimawi, Hamza al-Dabbas, Imad Batran, Adel Hareebat, Ayman al-Tabeesh, Hussam Matar, Mohammad al-Tabeesh, Abdul Majid Khuderat, Omar Tallahma and Mahmoud Tallahma.
Former prisoner Mohammad al-Taj has refused visitors and medical personnel entry into his hospital room at Palestine Medical Center, reported Quds News Network on August 4, 2013.
Al-Taj is a former prisoner who was released shortly after the death of Maysara Abuhamdieh in Israeli prisons, a death attributed to medical neglect. He has been diagnosed as needing a lung transplant and other treatment not available in Palestine. On July 13, after threatening a hunger strike, Al-Taj was told by the Palestinian Authority that treatment would be provided for him in Austria.
Two Palestinian brothers held in Israeli prisons have joined the prisoners on hunger strike, raising the number of Palestinian political prisoners on hunger strike to 14, Addameer reported on August 4.
Omar Tallahma, 22, and Mahmoud Tallahma, 19, have launched an open-ended hunger strike in protest of the abuse of their interrogators and against their continued arrest, demanding their freedom. The Tallahma brothers are from Dura in al-Khalil district.
Omar was arrested on June 30, 2013, and Mahmoud on July 10.
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Addameer also provided the following update on the ongoing conditions of Palestinian hunger strikers:
Ramallah, 31 July 2013 – Despite the mounting pressure on the hunger strikers and the Israel Prison Service (IPS) attempts to isolate them, Addameer lawyers were able to gain access to two of the twelve prisoners who have reported that all of the hunger strikers detained in Ramleh clinic have stopped taking vitamin supplements and are threatening to boycott water if their demands are not met. They are currently also refusing medical examinations.
This most recent development is in light of the harsh conditions they are subjected to in the prison clinic, including denial of medical treatment, lack of humane treatment and isolation in dirty cells.
It should be emphasized that Addameer and other human rights organizations are consistently being denied access to the hunger striking prisoners, both from denied applications and by indirect means, such as transferring the prisoner to another location on the date of an approved visit. This week, Addameer had five approved visits to hunger strikers but was ultimately only allowed access to Ayman al-Tabeesh and Husam Matar. The other prisoners were transferred without notice on the day of Addameer’s visit, thereby denying them their right to legal counsel and further isolating them from the outside world.
Ayman al-Tabeesh, who has been on hunger strike for 70 days in protest of his administrative detention, is currently being held in desolate conditions in Ramleh clinic in a ward for infectious diseases. For over five weeks, he has been isolated in a soundproof 2×2 windowless cell with a mattress on the floor. According to Ayman, fellow hunger strikers Adel Hareebat, Mohammad al-Tabeesh, Mohammad Rimawi, Husam Matar and Abdul Majeed Khdeirat were also held in similar conditions before their recent transfer. Ayman also confirmed that three of the Jordanian prisoners are held in another ward of the prison clinic, which houses prisoners with mental disorders.
The prisoners are subjected to increased pressure and threats by the IPS to end their hunger strikes. They have reported that they are continuously transferred to different cells, subjected to night inspections, not allowed clothing, sheets, family visits and any contact with others except for a one hour recreation period in the yard. Those who are on hunger strike in protest of administrative detention have been promised verbally that they will not receive a renewal order, but the IPS refuses to document the agreement in writing.
Husam Matar, who has been on hunger strike for 61 days was held briefly with Mohammad Rimawi before his transfer to an unknown location last week. Husam reported that Mohammad’s health is critical and his life is in danger. He is currently taking medicine for a lung infection and fungal infection resulting from his hunger strike as well as suffering from mineral deficiency.
Husam is also being held in appalling conditions; he is in a small, dirty cell filled with sewage water. The conditions are so filthy that he is unable to pray during the holy month of Ramadan. Husam suffers from previous medical issues such as neurological problems, and bone issues, and currently suffers from facial hair loss, bodily pains and dehydration as a result of his hunger strike.
The hunger strikers also confirmed to Addameer that Adel Hareebat is in critical condition, his pancreas and liver are failing and he has a lack of basic minerals in his blood, decreased heart rate, blood sugar and blood pressure. Addameer was denied visitation rights for Adel despite his dangerous and life-threatening health condition.
Addameer again calls for immediate intervention from the international community including the UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights
and the European Union, to pressure Israel in the strongest manner possible to save the lives of all twelve hunger strikes.
Bilal Mohammad Mahmoud Odeh, 35, a Palestinian prisoner from Jerusalem, entered his 12th year in occupation prisons on August 8, 2013. He was arrested on August 8, 2001 and sentenced to 18 years in Israeli prisons, on charges of belonging to the armed wing of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.
Ayman Hamdan and Imad al-Batran, Palestinian prisoners held without charge or trial under administrative detention who have been on hunger strike for 105 and 96 days respectively as of August 10, 2013, are suffering serious deterioration of their health, reported Palestinian lawyer Fadi Obeidat.
Israel released Omar Barghouti, the currently longest-serving Palestinian administrative detainee on Wednesday, August 7, after 34 months of imprisonment without charges or trial.
Addameer Prisoner Support & Human Rights Association
Former prisoner 
This most recent development is in light of the harsh conditions they are subjected to in the prison clinic, including denial of medical treatment, lack of humane treatment and isolation in dirty cells.