Israel breaks deal, renews detention of hunger striker

Al-Akhbar reports: Israel has broken a deal reached last month with the Palestinian prisoners’ committee that ended a mass hunger strike by renewing the detention of Hassan Safadi for another six months, an NGO said on Thursday.

Over 2,000 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails went on a mass hunger strike earlier this year to protest Israel’s draconian administrative detention policy, as well as harsh conditions imposed on them during imprisonment.

“Hassan, who launched his hunger strike on 5 March, was one of the five long-term hunger strikers in administrative detention who were promised release upon the expiration of their current orders in the agreement that ended the Palestinian prisoners’ mass hunger strike on 14 May,” Addameer, an NGO for Palestinian prisoners, said in a statement on Thursday.

“Hassan has been held in administrative detention since 29 June 2011 and this renewal of his detention is a blatant violation of the agreement between the prisoners’ hunger strike committee and Israeli officials,” it added.

The policy dates back to the British mandate era of historic Palestine and allows Israel to detain Palestinians without charge for renewable six month periods.

Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch have previously condemned the policy as a violation of international humanitarian law.

Safadi’s health seriously deteriorated during his 71-day hunger strike, and the latest decision to renew his detention has raised fears he may restart his hunger strike, despite his fragile state.

Addameer said that Israel also has yet to fulfill its other obligations as part of the deal, including allowing family visits and ending solitary confinement.

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2 thoughts on “Israel breaks deal, renews detention of hunger striker

  1. rosemerry

    How can the “international community” keep supporting this cruel criminal State while invading Muslim countries and ruining the lives of millions?

  2. Norman

    This should be a wake up call to the American Israeli firsters. Of course, AIPAC will brand anyone a anti-sematic for saying this, as they do about anyone who isn’t a sycophant to their crap.

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