The Palestinian minister of prisoners’ affairs said on Saturday that 1,500 Palestinian prisoners would join a mass hunger strike on Sunday, as he warned of the deteriorating health conditions of more than 100 who have been on strike for over a month. Issa Qaraqe feared that “there might be martyrs” if the strike continues, as more than 100 Palestinian prisoners who began their 38th day of hunger strike on Saturday have been hospitalized.

Palestinians demonstrate in front of Baha Yaish’s house, a Palestinian administrative prisoner who spent 11 months in Israel prisons, in solidarity with hunger-striking Palestinian administrative prisoners, Nablus, West Bank, May 24, 2014 (Photo: Activestills)

Most of the prisoners who began refusing meals on April 24 are administrative detainees who are protesting against Israel’s policy of holding them without charge or trial. Qaraqe said many of the prisoners are suffering from internal bleeding and loss of memory and consciousness, and some are in need of surgery. He also said that the Israeli Prison Service is still “assaulting” the prisoners, moving them to solitary confinement under “cruel conditions” in order to “exhaust them and break their strike.”

Approximately 100 striking prisoners launched their campaign on April 24 in protest against Israel’s continued use of detention without trial against Palestinians despite a 2012 promise to limit the use of administrative detention to exceptional cases. That promise came as a result of a hunger strike involving more than 2,000 Palestinians that brought many to the brink of death.

According to Ma’an News Agency, since the beginning of this year’s strike, more than 100 other prisoners have joined the original 100, while thousands have held one-day solidarity strikes. Palestinians held in administrative detention are often held without charge or trial for months and without access to the evidence leading to their detention, even though international law stipulates this tactic only be used in exceptional circumstances. Palestinian prisoner human rights organization Addameer estimates that around 183 Palestinians are currently being held in administrative detention.

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