Mohammed Mar'i Saudi Gazette RAMALLAH – The Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli jail of Asqalan launched an open hunger strike to protest the Israeli “suppressive measures” against them, a senior Palestinian official said. Issa Qaraqi', the Palestinian Minister of Detainees and Ex-detainees, said that violent clashes erupted after the Israeli Prison Service (IPS's) guards raided section 3 of the prison in southern Israel on early Wednesday and started strip searches of the prisoners. He said that 9 prisoners were wounded in the clashes and 13 were transferred to solitary confinement. Qaraqi' said that the prisoners were handcuffed for five hours as guards confiscated electronic devices, including fans, and destroyed prisoners' belongings. The minister held Israel responsible for the life of hunger-striking prisoners. He added that several prisoners suffer from diabetes and high blood pressure. The strip search is one of the detention measures some Palestinian prisoners have held hunger strike against. Stopping the illegal measure was part of the agreement reached in May 2012 to end 28-day hunger strike by some 1,500 Palestinian prisoners demanding improvements in their incarceration situation, including an end to solitary confinement and administrative detention. The Palestinian prisoners held dozens of hunger strikes since the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories in 1967. Abdulqader Abu al-Fahem was the first Palestinian prisoner to die after 15 days of hunger strike at the Asqalan prison in 1970. The prisoners Rasim Halaweh, Alial-Ja'fari and Ishaq Maragheh died in the Nafha prison in 1980 after 32 days of hunger strike. The prisoners Anees Douleh and Hussein Obaidat died in 1992 after 15 days of hunger strike. According to recent Palestinian statistics, Israel is holding 5,200 Palestinian prisoners in its in 23 prisons and detention camps in Israel and in the West Bank of whom 234 children, 15 females, 15 members of Palestine Legislative Council and hundreds suffer from medical negligence. Qaddoura Faris, head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club (Nadi Al-Asir), said last week that the vast majority of Palestinian prisoners were exposed to different types of torture in Israeli jails. Faris, also former minister of Detainees and Ex-detainees, said in a statement that 95 percent of Palestinian prisoners suffered from physical and psychological torture in Israeli prisons and detention camps. He said that elderly, children, youths, females and sick prisoners were exposed to torture. Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas had repeatedly said the Palestinians will not sign any final peace agreement before Israel shuts down all its prisons and releases all the Palestinian prisoners, which were rejected by Israel.
