Four Palestinian prisoners continue their open-ended hunger strike

OCCUPIED AL-QUDS, Jun.20, (ST)- Four Palestinian prisoners continue their open-ended hunger strike in protest against the continuous Israeli occupation’s crimes towards the prisoners.

According to WAFA News Agency, Khalil Awawdeh, 40, from Dura town in the south of the West Bank, has been on a hunger strike for 110 days, and Raed Rayyan, 27, from Beit Duqqo village near Jerusalem, for 75 days both in protest against their prolonged administrative detention without charge or trial.

Awawdeh is reported to be suffering from headaches, fatigue, pain in the joints, irregular heartbeats, frequent vomiting and significant loss of weight after 52 days of hunger strike.

Freedom fighter Zakaria Zubaidi, from Jenin refugee camp who in September 2021 was able to escape from prison with five other freedom fighters but were all later caught, has been on hunger strike for the 16 consecutive days in solidarity with Awawdeh and Rayyan.

Mohammad Nawara, from Ramallah and who is serving a life term, has also been on hunger strike for seven days in protest of his isolation for 11 months in a row.

In the same context, the Palestinian Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Commission warned of the deterioration of the health condition of the two prisoners, Muhammad Al-Tous and Muhammad Al-Khatib, as a result of the arbitrary practices of the occupation against them.

The commission stated that  Al-Tus, who has been detained since 1985, is the third oldest prisoner in the Israeli prisons, needs an operation in the shoulder and he is suffering of a fluid bag in the kidneys, and recently he lost sight in his right eye, while the prisoner Al-Khatib, who was detained since 2006, suffers from disc and other problems in cartilage.

It pointed out that the occupation authorities refuse to provide treatment to the prisoners, calling on international and humanitarian institutions to immediately intervene to save the lives of the prisoners, especially the sick ones.

In another development, Maan website reported that the Israeli occupation forces arrested two Palestinians on the outskirts of the besieged Gaza Strip.

Basma Qaddour