Demands are mounting for the release of five Palestinians held in Israeli jails who have been on hunger strike for several weeks against Israeli law.
According to the Associated Press, one of the five prisoners has been on hunger strike for 120 days and his condition is said to be critical.
According to Israel, the "administrative detention" policy is necessary in order to detain suspects
without disclosing sensitive information. However, Palestinian and human rights groups believe that Israeli policy is depriving these detainees of their legal rights.The "administrative detention" policy authorizes the Israeli government to detain suspects for months to several years without any evidence.
Palestinians have been protesting in the West Bank and Gaza for several days in solidarity with the five prisoners and against the policy of administrative detention.
In recent years, Palestinian prisoners have gone on hunger strike several times against the policy of administrative detention and prison conditions, but this time the situation has escalated.
For the past 32 days, five Palestinians between the ages of 28 and 45 have been on hunger strike. The sixth prisoner ended his hunger strike on Thursday after 113 days when he was told he would be released in three months.
Kayed Phosphos, a 32-year-old prisoner, has been on hunger strike for the past 120 days and was admitted to an Israeli hospital after his condition deteriorated. According to a recent report by Israeli Dr. Amit Tirush, the weight of phosphorus has been reduced from 95 kg to 45 kg.According to the medical report, Kayed Phosphos drinks only one and a half liters of water daily and consumes a little sugar at a time but is not using salt at all. He has severe speech problems, memory impairment, hearing difficulty and constant headaches.
The doctor, referring to Kayed Phosphos' health, said his condition was critical and that he would have to spend several weeks in hospital if he ended his hunger strike.
Israel has suspended Kayed Fassouf on health grounds but rejected a request to transfer him to a West Bank hospital.
At least 488 people are being held in administrative detention, according to the Israeli Department of Prisons.
Roy Yellen, an official with the Israeli human rights group Bethlehem, says detainees held in administrative detention are often detained on suspicion of carrying out an attack in Israel.
"Israel uses administrative detention only against Palestinians, but never against Jews."
