As 4 additional Palestinian prisoners joined a series of individual hunger strikes, a number of long-term hunger strikers were transferred to hospital.

Emad Batran, who has been on hunger strike for 43 days, was transferred to Shaare Zedek hospital in Jerusalem, while Muhammad Rimawi and Hamza Othman, both Jordanian prisoners on strike for 48 days, were transferred to Soroka hospital in Bir Saba.

The four new hunger strikers are: Mohammed Tabeesh, who has been striking for 6 days; Ghassan Aliyan, who has been on strike for 9 days; Husam Matir, who has been striking for 18 days; and Iyad Abu Khadeer, whose sentence has expired but Israel refuses to release him.

They join Ayman Hamdan, Emad Batran, Ayman Tabeesh (brother of Mohammed), Adel Hareebat, Abdallah Barghouthi, Muhammad Rimawi, Hamza Othman, Alaa Hamad, and Muneer Mar’i.

More details and updates on all of their situations are provided in the below report from Addameer:

Highest number of individual hunger strikers since last year, as 4 Palestinian political prisoners begin the battle for their rights

Occupied Ramallah, 18 June 2013 – Individual hunger strikes of Palestinian political prisoners have escalated dramatically since the beginning of 2013, with over 33 prisoners engaging in hunger strikes for various reasons. This week, Addameer has confirmed that four new prisoners have started hunger strikes. Currently, there are 13 prisoners on hunger strike in the Occupation’s prisons, the highest number of individual hunger strikers in over a year.

Our latest update from our lawyers confirms that many hunger strikers have been moved to different hospitals, and their locations are currently unknown. Previously, several of the hunger strikers were held in isolation. Some of the prisoners are refusing lawyers visits due to the Israel Prison Service forcing them to keep their legs shackled during the lawyers visit. These policies serve to further isolate the prisoners on hunger strike and pressure them to end their strikes without gaining their rights.

Ayman Hamdan, Imad Batran, Ayman Tabeesh and Adel Hareebat are on hunger strike in protest of their administrative detention orders. Ayman Hamdan has been on hunger strike for 52 days. He is held in isolation in Ofer Prison. Imad Batran has been on hunger strike for 43 days and was transferred from isolation in Ofer Prison to Ramleh Hosptial and is currently in an unknown location. Ayman Tabeesh has been on hunger strike for 27 days in protest of the 4 month extension of his administrative detention order. He arrived to Ramleh Prison Hospital yesterday. Mohammad Tabeesh, who was sentenced to 18 months after serving a 2.5 month administrative detention order, started a solidarity strike with his brother Ayman 6 days ago. According to the Tabeesh family, Mohammad was subjected to severe beatings by the prison guards upon announcing his strike.

Adel Hareebat, who has been on hunger strike for 27 days, is protesting the extension of his administrative detention for an additional 6 months. Adel has served 10 years in prison, 3 of them under administrative detention. He was moved from isolation in Ofer Prison to Ramleh Prison Hospital due to his deteriorating health condition. He is suffering from lung cysts, continued fainting and dizziness. Initially, he refused treatment in the Ofer Prison Clinic due to the Israeli Prison Service insisting on shackling his hands and legs during the clinic visit. He is currently on a total hunger strike and only drinking water according to his family.

Twenty-two year old Ghassan Aliyan from Aida Refugee Camp in Bethlehem has been on hunger strike for 9 days in protest of his re-arrest. Ghassan was first arrested in 2007 at the age of 16. He served five years of a six year sentence before his sentence was commuted in the prisoners exchange and he was released in the second phase of the 2011 prisoner’s exchange. Because he was released in a prisoner exchange, Ghassan may be subjected to Article 186 of Military Order 1651, which allows for an Israeli military committee to restore the remainder of his previous sentence, regardless of the current reason of his arrest. Ayman Sharawna and Samer Issawi, who both endured long-term hunger strikes in 2012/2013 were both subjected to this law and faced serving over 20 years each. There are currently 13 prisoners who are held under Article 186 that can potentially serve the remainder of their sentences, which range from 1 to 30 years.

Husam Matir has been on hunger strike for 18 days to demand he be treated as a prisoner of war (POW). Husam, 25 years old, from Jerusalem, was arrested on 19 October 2007 and is serving a life sentence. Currently, Israel does not consider any Palestinian prisoners POWs. Classification as a POW for those who engaged in armed battle during the intifada is consistently a request during hunger strikes that has not been granted by the prison administration . According to the 3rd Geneva Convention, prisoners of war are granted special rights in regards to shelter, clothing, food, hygiene and medical care as well as treatment, such as not standing for headcount, or treatment as a criminal prisoner.

Iyad Abu Khadeer from Gaza is currently engaging in a hunger strike according to his family, due to the Occupation refusing to release him despite the expiration of his sentence. Iyad has served eight years in prison, and the prison administration claims that they will not release him due to his lack of identification papers that confirm he is from Gaza. He is currently held in Naqab Prison.

Five Jordanian prisoners, including Abdallah Barghouthi, have been on hunger strike for 48 days in protest of their denial of family visits and the condition of their detention. The Jordanian prisoners are Mohammad Rimawi, Hamza Othman, Munir Mar’ee, Alaa Hamad. All have been transferred to various hospitals. Hamza Othman, who Addameer’s lawyer was able to visit hours before his transfer to Suroka Hospital, has stopped taking vitamins, sugars and salts for five days and has a deteriorating health condition. He suffers from severe headaches, dizziness, dehydration, and decreased heart rate.

The increase in individual hunger strikes that do not yield any sustainable results or agreements with the prison administration speaks to the prison administration’s apathy towards the prisoner’s health and their rights. Addameer calls on the international diplomatic community, who has largely remained silent as the hunger strikes continue to escalate, to put effective pressure on the Occupation’s authorities to reach just agreements with the prisoners on hunger strike, release those who are held under administration without charge or trial, and comply with international law in regards to the prison conditions and the rights of the prisoners.

Addameer reported that nine prisoners are currently on hunger strike in occupation prisons as of June 17, 2013 – 4 Palestinian prisoners being held under administrative detention and 5 prisoners who are Palestinian and hold Jordanian citizenship. The striking prisoners are as follows:

1. Ayman Hamdan of Bethlehem, on hunger strike for 51 days, since April 28, 2013, in Ofer prison; protesting his administrative detention.

2. Emad Al-Batran of Hebron, on hunger strike for 42 days, since May 7, 2013, protesting his administrative detention; he is currently in Ramle prison clinic since May 26 due to the deterioration of his health.

3. Ayman Al-Tabeesh, 33, of the Hebron area, on hunger strike for 26 days since May 23, 2013, when a 4-month administrative detention order was issued against him following his arrest on May 9, 2013. He is currently in Ofer prison.

4. Adel Hareebat, 38, also of Hebron area, has been on hunger strike for 26 days since May 23, 2013 when a 6-month administrative detention renewal was issued for him. He had already been held for 6 months prior since his detention in November 2012. He is currently held in Ofer prison. He has previously spent 10 years altogether in occupation prisons, including 3 years in administrative detention.

Five prisoners who hold Jordanian citizenship have been on hunger strike for 47 days, in one collective strike with three collective demands. All are currently held in Ramle prison clinic due to their health deterioration as a result of the strike.

Addameer Prisoner Support and Human Rights Association’s lawyer‪, Faris Ziyad‪, visited the clinic in Ramleh Prison‪ on 2 June 2013. where he met with two Palestinian prisoners who hold Jordanian citizenship‪, Abdallah Barghouthi and Muhammad Rimawi‪. They are both on hunger strike along with three other Jordanian prisoners: Hamza Othman, Alaa Hamad, and Munir Mar’i.

5. Abdallah Barghouthi, 41, is from the village of Beit Rima in the governorate of Ramallah and holds Jordanian citizenship. He began his hunger strike on 2 May 2013 while in Gilboa prison‪; he wwas transferred to a prison section with civilian prisoners for 14 days, and  then transferred to Al‪-Jalameh Prison on 15 May 2013 for interrogation concerning his hunger strike‪. On 19 May 2013‪, he was brought to the hospital in Ramleh Prison‪. He refused water for the entirety of his interrogation in Al‪-Jalameh‪. Barghouthi received the highest sentence handed down by a military court in the history of the Israeli occupation ‪(67 life sentences‪) and has been detained since 5 March 2003‪.

6. Muhammad Rimawi, 47, is from the village of Beit Rima in the governorate of Ramallah‪ and holds Jordanian citizenship. His open hunger strike began on 2 May 2013 in Ramon Prison‪. He was transferred to Al‪-Ramleh hospital on 22 May 2013 and has only been drinking water‪. With respect to his health, Rimawi clarified that‪,before the hunger strike‪,he suffered from inflammation of the lungs and the intestines, as well as Mediterranean fever‪. As a result of the hunger strike‪, he is currently suffering from extreme fatigue‪. He confirmed that the prison administration is refusing to provide him with the medication he requires for these pre-existing health complications unless he stops his strike‪, an offer that he has categorically refused‪. Rimawi has been detained since 19 October 2001 and was given three life sentences.

7. Hamza Othman holds Jordanian citizenship and has been on hunger strike since 2 May 2013; he is currently in Ramleh prison clinic.

8. Alaa Hamad holds Jordanian citizenship and has been on hunger strike since 2 May 2013; he is currently in Ramleh prison clinic.

9. Muneer Mar’i holds Jordanian citizenship and has been on hunger strike since 2 May 2013; he is currently in Ramleh prison clinic.

Barghouthi and Rimawi confirmed to Ziyad of Addameer that the the 5 Jordanian prisoners who announced their hunger strike on 2 May 2013 from Ramon‪, Naqab‪, and Gilboa Prisons are united in their demands‪, asserting the strength of their resolve and their willingness to engage in a prolonged battle‪. He said that they will not stop their hunger strike until their demands are met‪. Their protest was sparked by the repeated refusal of family visits.

The demands of the Jordanian hunger strikers are as follows‪:

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.