Palestinians halt 62-day hunger strike after deal

RAMALLAH — Dozens of Palestinian prisoners who had refused food for 62 days have suspended their hunger strike after reaching a deal with the Israel Prisons Service, their lawyer told AFP.

The prisoners began refusing food on April 24 in protest at being held by Israel without charge or trial under a controversial procedure called administrative detention, which can be indefinitely extended for years.

“The strikers, who have reached an agreement with the Israeli prison authorities, have decided to suspend their action with the approach of Ramadan,” Ashraf Abu Sneina said, referring to the holy month which begins this weekend.

Israel confirmed the agreement, details of which were to be made public later on Wednesday.

“The hunger strike was suspended overnight,” Israel Prisons Service (IPS) spokeswoman Sivan Weizman told AFP.

She said the sides have reached a “short-term agreement” which allowed for the hunger-strikers, all of whom are being treated in hospital due to their rapidly failing health, to suspend their action.

“But this arrangement does not involve any suspension or cancellation of the use of administrative detention,” Weizman said.

“This measure will continue to be used.”

The IPS put the number of hunger strikers at 75 when the deal was reached.

Earlier this month, the IPS said the hunger strike was the longest-ever staged by Palestinian detainees.

Some of the hunger strikers were kept alive with vitamins and sugars, but others took only water for the duration, according to prisoners’ rights group Addameer.

Administrative detention is a procedure dating back to the British Mandate of Palestine (1920-1948) under which prisoners can be held for six-month periods, which can be indefinitely renewed by a court order.

Around 200 of the 5,000 or so Palestinians held by Israel are administrative detainees, although that number looks set to double as Israel presses a major arrest operation in the West Bank following the disappearance of three teenagers believed kidnapped by Hamas.

So far, 371 Palestinians have been arrested — 280 of them Hamas members — with most expected to be slapped with administrative detention orders.

The Palestinian leadership and human rights groups have denounced the use of administrative detention, urging international pressure on Israel to scrap the measure.

Israel’s army did not respond to requests for comment on the procedure, but former IPS commissioner Orit Adato said holding prisoners without charge was the only way to protect Israel’s network of Palestinian informants.

“This procedure is used when it’s clear we have someone dangerous on our hands... but a trial would involve revealing our sources, putting them in danger,” she told AFP.

Earlier this month, UN chief Ban Ki-moon expressed concern about the deteriorating health of the hunger-strikers and demanded that Israel either charge or release them.

In an attempt to prevent further hunger strikes, the Israeli government is planning to pass a controversial law which would allow the authorities to force-feed prisoners. It is to be put to a second and third vote in parliament on Monday.