RAMALLAH – Sick Palestinian prisoners on Saturday threatened to launch an open hunger strike to protest their detention conditions. The 35 sick Palestinians in Ishel prison in southern Israeli city of Be'er Sheva' said in a letter on behalf of 1,400 sick comrades, addressed to the Palestinian Prisoners Club (Nadi Al-Asir), that they will start soon an open hunger strike to protest the Israeli Prison Service's measures against them. The prisoners said in their letter that they need special medical care that the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) refuses to extend. The club said that the signatories are suffering from cancer, paralysis, diabetes, blindness and high blood pressure. The prisoners called on Palestinian political movements and Palestinian people to support them in their resistance against the Israeli violations. They also called on human rights groups, and the International Red Cross to intervene and practice pressures on the Israeli authorities to stop violations against them. The development comes a day after Palestinian Minister of Detainees and Ex-detainees Issa Qaraqi' said that Israel is holding 1,400 prisoners in its in 23 prisons and detention camps in Israel and in the West Bank. Qaraqi' said that 80 of them are chronically or terminally ill, and some are on the verge of death. He added that the prisoners are suffering from cancer, paralysis, diabetes, high blood pressure, kidney, gallbladder and eyes problems. The minister said that the health of the prisoners Naim Shawamreh and Mo'tasem Raddad “is deteriorating and may die at any moment.” He added that Shawamreh suffering from muscle atrophy while Raddad is suffering from bowel cancer. He added that the Palestinian government will raise the issue of sick prisoners with all international forums. The minister said that the move aims at winning international support for the case of the prisoners in order to create pressure on Israel to free them. The minister said that the government also demanded that the EU Parliament dispatch a commission of inquiry to look into the conditions of the Palestinian prisoners. Qaraqi' held Israel responsible for the lives and health of the prisoners. He accused Israel of “violating international laws” regarding prisoners. The development comes as the Israeli ministerial committee tasked with selecting the list of Palestinian prisoners to be released is scheduled to meet on Saturday night to decide on those to be freed late Monday night, in the third of four phased releases agreed upon as a precondition to peace talks. On July, Israel agreed to a four-stage release of 104 prisoners in order to facilitate the resumption of American-brokered peace talks between Israel and the Palestinians. In the first stage of the release this past August, 26 Palestinians were freed. In the second stage of the deal this October, 21 prisoners were released. The ministerial committee to decide on the names includes Prime Minister Binyamin Netanyahu, Defense Minister Moshe Ya'alon, Public Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch, Justice Minister Tzipi Livni and Science and Technology Minister Yaakov Peri, a former Shin Bet head. Once the ministerial committee draws up the names of the prisoners, the families of the “victims” will have 48 hours to petition against their release to the Israeli Supreme Court. It is highly unlikely the court will intervene, Israeli media said. According to recent Palestinian statistics, Israel is holding 4,900 Palestinian prisoners in its in 23 prisons and detention camps of whom 234 children, 15 females, 15 members of Palestine Legislative Council, 135 in administrative detention without trial and hundreds suffer from medical negligence.
