Occupied Palestine | فلسطين

LIVE BLOG #Palhunger Strike


Continuous Updates


LATEST NEWS




The Demands of the Hunger Strikers





Take action now: Amnesty issues urgent alert for Palestine hunger strikers who are near death | Electronic Intifada


Why are Palestinian Prisoners on a Hunger strike?

1.1 – The issue of Palestinian prisoners is one of the worst consequences of the Israeli occupation.  Since 1967, over 700,000 Palestinians, 20% of the population of the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip have been detained. This number represents approximately 40% of the total male Palestinian population in the occupied territories.

1.2 – Today, there are about 6,000 prisoners in 17 Israeli jails and detention centres. They include six women and more than 200 minors.

1.3 – 330 Palestinians are being held in administrative detention with no formal charges having been brought against them in a court of law. 28 elected members of the parliament, and three former ministers fall within this category.

1.4 – Israel is currently holding all these Palestinian prisoners far away from their homes, and outside of the occupied territory. This constitutes a clear violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War. Article 76 of the Convention states:

“Protected persons accused of offences shall be detained in the occupied country, and if convicted they shall serve their sentences therein.”

Article 49 also states:

“Individual or mass forcible transfers, as well as deportations of protected persons from occupied territory to the territory of the Occupying Power or to that of any other country, occupied or not, are prohibited, regardless of their motive.”

1.5 – Article 32 specifically prohibits “murder, torture, corporal punishments, mutilation and … any other measures of brutality whether applied by civilian or military agents”. Since 1967, 202 Palestinians prisoners have died while being tortured in Israeli jails.

1.6 – Israel routinely tries Palestinians before military courts, none of which meet the most basic standards of international law; particularly the laws relating to the treatment of prisoners of war and people under occupation.

1.7 – In light of the above, there are now calls for the prosecution of Israeli officials at an international tribunal.

Download the factsheet from odsg.org (PDF)


Related legal resources




Addameer Prisoner Support & Human Rights Organisation | April 18, 2012

Addameer Calls for Continued Solidarity with Palestinian Prisoners on Mass Hunger Strike

Ramallah, 18 April 2012 – Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons launched a mass hunger strike yesterday, 17 April, on Palestinian Prisoners’ Day. The call for hunger strike came amidst a wave of individual hunger strikes initiated in the past few months, and prisoners on hunger strike continue to face punishments by the Israeli Prison Service (IPS).

An estimated 1,200 Palestinian prisoners (Note: number on April 18, 2012. On April 24 est. 3000 participating the strike)  announced the beginning of an open hunger strike yesterday, along with approximately 2,300 who refused meals and are currently preparing for a wider campaign of disobedience. The hunger striking prisoners’ demands include: an end to the IPS’ abusive use of isolation for “security” reasons, which currently affects ­­­­19 prisoners, some of whom have spent 10 years in isolation; an end to Israel’s practice of detaining Palestinians without charge or trial in administrative detention, under which 322 Palestinians are currently detained; a repeal of a series of punitive measures taken against Palestinian prisoners following the capture of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, including the denial of family visits for all Gaza prisoners since 2007 and denial of access to university education since June 2011.


This collective hunger strike follows the 22-day day campaign of disobedience, including a mass hunger strike, launched at the end of September 2011 in protest of the escalating series of punitive measures taken against Palestinian prisoners in prior months. On 18 October, prisoners put their hunger strike on hold in light of the prisoner exchange deal concluded by Israel and Hamas. As most of the punitive measures taken by the IPS against prisoners were part of a policy aimed at collectively punishing them for the continued incarceration of Gilad Shalit, it was expected that these would be reversed with his release. At the time of the first phase of prisoner releases, the spokespersons for the prisoner’s movement made a deal with the IPS that the policy of isolation and other punitive measures would be stopped within three months if the prisoners ceased their hunger strike. Today marks six months since this agreement was made, and no policy changes have yet occurred. Prisoners have therefore re-launched their hunger strike to demand their most basic rights.


Notably, at least ten Palestinian prisoners remain on extended hunger strikes launched during and following the inspiring individual hunger strikes of Khader Adnan, who was on hunger strike for 66 days and released from administrative detention at around 11:00 pm yesterday, and Hana Shalabi, who ended her hunger strike after 43 days. Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahleh are currently on their 50th day of hunger strike in protest of their administrative detention. They are both being held in Ramleh Prison medical center, where their health is rapidly deteriorating. Three other administrative detainees have also been moved to Ramleh Prison medical center, including Hassan Safadi, Omar Abu Shalal and Jaafar Azzedine, on their 45th, 43rd and 28th days of hunger strike respectively. Ahmad Saqer, the currently longest-held administrative detainee, is on his 32nd day of hunger strike.


Mohammed Suleiman, Thalassemia patient, is also refusing medical treatment in protest of his administrative detention. Four additional prisoners remain on hunger strike for other reasons, including: Mohammad Taj, on his 32nd day of hunger strike demanding to be treated as a prisoner of war; Mahmoud Sarsak, moved to Ramleh Prison medical center on 16 April and on his 27th day of hunger strike in protest of being held under Israel’s Unlawful Combatants Law; Azzam Diab, on his 23rd day of hunger strike in solidarity with his brother Bilal; and Abdullah Barghouti, on his 7th day of hunger strike in protest of his ongoing isolation.


These prisoners have all been punished for their hunger strikes by being placed in solitary confinement and denied family visits. The prisoners involved in the mass hunger strike have also already begun to face punishments by the IPS. In an attempt to isolate them from the rest of the prisoners, prisoners on hunger strike in Rimon prison have been transferred to the isolation section of the prison and prisoners on hunger strike in Eshel prison have been transferred to Ohalei Keidar, where no other Palestinian political prisoners are held. Even more troubling, the IPS has made it exceedingly difficult for independent doctors to visit the hunger striking prisoners and has prevented hunger strikers from meeting with their lawyers.


Addameer particularly condemns the IPS’ efforts to ban Addameer lawyer Samer Sam’an from all prison visits following the increasing number of Palestinian prisoners engaging in hunger strike. After being frequently denied visits upon request, the deputy director of Ofer prison informed Mr. Sam’an on 10 April that he would receive an official ban on access to all prisoners. According to IPS regulations, the director of a prison can decide to ban a lawyer visit to an individual prisoner for two days, after informing that prisoner, which can then be extended by the head of the IPS for up to one year. Mr. Sam’an’s ban therefore violates even the IPS’ own regulations, as he is now effectively being banned from access to all prisoners. Addameer anticipates that the IPS will continue to use tactics employed in last fall’s hunger strike in order to systematically prevent lawyers from having access to the hunger strikers, such as moving prisoners to other prisons without informing their lawyers, in an attempt to further isolate the hunger strikers and undermine their campaign.


Addameer calls on the diplomatic community to pressure Israel to immediately allow for hunger striking prisoners to have access to necessary healthcare and legal advisement. Addameer further urges all political parties, institutions, organizations and solidarity groups working in the field of human rights in the occupied Palestinian territory and abroad to support the prisoners in their hunger strike and demand that their legitimate demands be granted. Addameer will continue to closely follow the prisoner’s campaign of civil disobedience and provide regular updates on the situation as it develops.




VIDEO | “We Will Live In Dignity!”

17 April 2012 | Al Haq

As an organisation dedicated to the promotion and protection of Palestinian human rights, Al-Haq would like to take the opportunity of Palestinian Prisoners’ Day to highlight the ongoing violation of the rights of Palestinians incarcerated in Israeli prisons, many of whom are interned without charge or trial. The continuing ill-treatment of some 4,600 political prisoners, which includes internment, the denial of family and lawyer visits, prolonged periods of isolation, and the lack of fair trial, has largely been overlooked ed by a wider international community that has grown more and more desensitized to such violations of international law. Click here to read more.




EMOHR urges Europeans to support prisoners’ hunger strike

The Euro-Mediterranean Observatory for Human Rights (EMOHR) started contacting some European and international officials, within the framework of the European Campaign for the Defense of Palestinian prisoners, which was launched a few days ago, and which aims at supporting the prisoners.

EMOHR said in a statement on Sunday (22-4), that it contacted Council of Europe Commissioner for Human Rights, Mr. Nils Muižnieks, urging him to support the striking  Palestinian prisoners’ demands, guaranteed in the international humanitarian law and to exercise pressure on the Israeli government, to stop its punitive policies as well as to use the Council’s influence to push the bodies concerned with the issue to support the prisoners’ demands. Read more at the website of Al Qassam Brigades




April 23, 2012 | Day 7 of hungerstrike

Israel violating more rights: Suppressing Hunger Strikers

Israel is now attacking prisoners on hungerstrike (Source) in several ways which all display the disrespect of human lives and rights. Varying from raiding cells, looting belongings (Source), putting strikers or supporters in solitary confinement, taking radios and even take away the salt which they need to not get dehydrated. Water and electricity reportedly also cut of in a bid to force hungerstrikers to end their effort (Source)

Also supporters are attacked to put pressure on the hungerstrikers to end their strike (Source) and lawyers are banned from visiting their clients. (Source) Some can not even contact their clients because IPS moved them to unknown locations (Source)




April 24, 2012 | Day 8 of hungerstrike

Apr 24, 2012 | Human rights defender Bassem Tamimi was released from prison – Addameer

Photo by Anne Paq – ActiveStills



In Media





April 25, 2012 | Day 9 of hungerstrike

Live Updates



In Media




April 26, 2012 | Day 10 of hungerstrike


In media



Video
Rally in Moscow Russia (Apr 25, 2012)





April 27, 2012 | Day 11 of hungerstrike



In media

Photography




April 28, 2012 | Day 12 of hungerstrike

In media

https://twitter.com/#!/Palhunger/status/196311274018193408

Photography

Apr 28, 2012 | Candlelight Vigil by the children of Gaza




April 29, 2012 | Day 13 of hungerstrike



8 Hungerstrikers are hospitalized now:

  1. Thaer Halahleh, 60th day of hunger strike facing organ failure & death in a matter of days
  2. Bilal Diab,  60th day of  hunger strike  facing organ failure & death in a matter of days
  3. Omar Abu Shalal, 50th day of hunger strike. Administrative detainee
  4. Jaafar Azzedine, 53rd day of hunger strike. Administrative detainee
  5. Mohammad Taj,  39th day of hunger strike demanding to be treated as a prison of war
  6. Mahmoud Sarsak, 34th day of hunger strike in protest of being held under Israel’s Unlawful Combatants Law
  7. Abdullah Barghouti, in isolation 14th day of hunger strike
  8. Mohammed Halas is the latest prisoner to be transferred to the prison medical facility

Grave concern hunger strikers are not receiving adequate healthcare and that independent doctors are still being denied visits to them




In Media


Video

Apr 29, 2012 | Ramallah protest for prisoners. At 2:18 min. of the video Thaer Halahleh’s father, heartbreaking. Thaer, on his 62nd day of hunger strike, hospitalized for organ failure and near death.



Apr 29, 2012 Video by

Over 150 people gathered in Jerusalem in mid-April to show their support and solidarity with Palestinian political prisoners. It is estimated that over 4,600 Palestinians are currently being held in Israeli jails. This week, over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners continued an open-ended hunger strike, in protest of their mistreatment and lack of basic rights in Israeli prisons. For more information, visit http://alternativenews.org






April 30, 2012 | Day 14 of hungerstrike


Translation: Based on latest data which we received last night: 3100 prisoners are on hungerstrike and large numbers join daily



In Media



Announcements



Photography



Video




May 1, 2012 | Day 15 of hungerstrike




In Media



Photography



Video demo at Ofer prison




May 2, 2012 | Day 16 of hungerstrike


.


In Media



Bloggers in support



Photography

During the daily demo in London




May 3, 2012 | Day 17 of hungerstrike




In Media

Photography

Very violent police crackdown on unarmed civilian protesters at Ramle



Video


Ramle arrests of activists

Girls in Gaza singing at Al Jundy prisoner sit-in




May 4, 2012 | Day 18 of hungerstrike


In Media



Photography



Video

Kafr Kana



Nabi Saleh





May 5, 2012 | Day 19 of hungerstrike




In Media

Photography




May 6, 2012 | Day 20 of hungerstrike


In Media

Photos




May 7, 2012 | Day 21 of hungerstrike


In Media

May 7, 2012 | Israeli supreme court rejects Palestinian hunger strikers appeals (updated) | Al Akhbar English | Al Jazeera | Addameer

Photography

Video of Support





May 8, 2012 | Day 22 of hungerstrike


In media

Photography




May 9, 2012 | Day 23 of hungerstrike




In media

Photos

Video




May 10, 2012 | Day 24 of hungerstrike




Video solidarity in Dublin



Solidarity Protest at the Israeli Embassy in #Amman #Jordan – Video



Photography




May 11, 2012 | Day 25 of hungerstrike



Action Alert: Petition in Solidarity with Palestinian Political Prisoners and Detainees in Israeli jails | UFREE

Bilal Thayb and Thaer Halahleh are on hunger strike for 74days, fighting for their rights as human beings.
The Palestinain prisoner Hasan AlSafadi is on Open Hunger Strike for 68days.
The Palestinain prisoner Omar Abu Shalal is on Open Hunger Strike for 66days.
The Palestinain Leader AbduAllah Al-Barghouti is on Open Hunger Strike for 30days.
The Palestinain prisoner Mohammad Taj is on Open Hunger Strike for 55days.
The Palestinain prisoner Mohammad Sarsak is on Open Hunger Strike for 50days.
The Palestinain prisoner Jaa’afar Izzdine is on Open Hunger Strike for 51days

Updates on the Palestinian prisoners hunger striking since April 17 inside Israeli jails | PLFP


Photography




May 12, 2012 | Day 26 of hungerstrike



Thaer Halahleh’s letter to his daughter “My Beloved Lamar, forgive me” ~ by Linah Alsaafin


In media

Photography




May 13, 2012 | Day 27 of hungerstrike


ACTION ALERT  International Action for hunger strike TOMORROW: stand in solidarity with prisoners for 10 minutes at 12pm local time | Addameer

Video




May 14, 2012 | Day 28 of hungerstrike



IMPORTANT UPDATE 20:30 Pal Time

3 hunger strikers, Jafar Izz-al Din, Thaer Halahle and Bilal Diab continue their hunger strike!

UPDATE 22:27 Pal Time

UPDATE 22:32 Pal Time

Follow @PalHunger, the official spokesperson for the #PalHunger strike for confirmed news

THE DEMANDS OF THE #PALHUNGER STRIKERS ~ BY @PALHUNGER

Daily [Ar/En] bulletin on the Palestinian prisoners hunger strike | Day 27

Today actions Nablus (now), Ramallah, Nazareth, and GLOBAL stand for 10 mins and more..  | POPULAR  STRUGGLE

Announcement

Video




May 15, 2012 | Day 29 of hungerstrike


UPDATE 1:40 Pal Time

BREAKING NEWS | THAER HALAHLE TO BE RELEASED JUNE 5, 2012 – BILAL DIAB AUG 17, 2012

In Media




May 17, 2012




Follow for updates on Prisoners & Hunger Strikers








Follow for updates on Child Prisoners





Insight |  Palestinian Political Prisoners: Breaking the Chains of Oppression, Marching towards Freedom

A Must read ~  by A Voice From Palestine

As Palestinian political prisoners held captive in Israeli dungeons start a general open hunger strike, stand in solidarity with them, support their just struggle and demand their freedom. The indigenous people of occupied Palestine have been held hostage by a brutal military occupation, and confined to ghettos build in their own land. The Palestinians are held captives in their own homes, towns and villages, with military checkpoints locking them up, controlling and limiting their movement, and surrounded by Zionist colonies built on the ruins of Palestinian villages and on the bones of the Palestinians.

They are held captives in their in their own homeland, in their homes and in Israeli dungeons. Every week, tens of Palestinians are kidnapped from their homes, workplace, schools and at checkpoints. Sometimes the detained are released after a few days, after a few weeks or remain in captivity indefinitely. Currently, over 4700 Palestinians are locked up behind Israeli bars, and the Zionist entity violates their rights on a daily basis. In addition to torture, physical and verbal abuse, repeated attacks and humiliation, Palestinian political prisoners suffer from medical negligence and are denied proper nourishment.  Continue to read the story here



What can You do to help?

12 April 2012 | International Solidarity Movement

This week International Solidarity Movement is calling for international solidarity in the run up to Palestinian Prisoners Day on the 17th April. The Palestinian prisoners struggle needs immediate international attention as Israel’s treatment of prisoners under a military judicial system starkly violates international law and fundamental human rights. According to Addammer there are currently 4,637 Palestinian political prisoners are kept in Israeli military jails and detention centers, including 320 administrative detainees.

Some of the primary objectives of the prisoners struggle are:

  • To stop the system known as administrative detention, which allows the imprisonment of individuals without charge or trail
  • To halt the practice of solitary confinement.
  • To stop the use of torture and ill treatment. Palestinians are exposed to systematic ill and degrading treatment from the moment of arrest – both physiological and physical terrors are used as means of breaking the prisoners and getting details and information.
  • To stop the illegal transference of prisoners from the occupied territories into Israeli borders. Every time Israel brings a prisoner from the West bank jails inside their borders – they are in clear violation with the 4th Geneva Convention.
  • To stop the use of military courts for civilians.
  • To stop arrest and imprisonment of vulnerable groups such as children, elder and disabled.

Besides the suffering of individual prisoners, Israel systematically uses collective punishment towards the relatives of prisoners. The journeys to visit your husband, wife, son, or daughter may take up to 15 hours as the prisoners are systematically placed as far from their home as possible. Furthermore, visitors will face degrading processes of strip search at the borders to Israel and at the entrance to the prisons. Sometimes they even get turned away.

“All people and governments of conscience in the world have an immediate responsibility to put pressure on Israel forcing them to respect International law and human rights!” says Faris Sabbah, from Addammer, the Prisoners support and Human Rights Association.

TAKE ACTION

You can:

  • Organize a protest in front of the Israeli Embassy or consulate in our town
  • Write letters to protest the violations of rights of Palestinian political prisoners and to call for an intervention to the International Committee of the Red Cross, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and your governoment or parliamentarians.
  • Write letters to Palestinian prisoners expressing your support. Read more about thise here:

Submit your photos:

What ever action you choose to take – please submit photos from your action to ISM at palreports@gmail.com.

You can get inspired from similar ISM campaign carried out in accordance to “Open Shuhada Street Campaign.”

Please follow these guidelines:

  1. In the subject line please write “ Campaign for international solidarity with Palestininan prisoners”
  2. Photos should not be a maximum of 1 MB
  3. A poster, sign, clothing or any other visual statement that expresses your solidarity with Palestinian prisoners should be visible.
  4. Include a location of the photo (example: Hollywood sign, Hollywood, California) in the email
  5. Include the date when the photograph was taken in the email
  6. If the visual is written in a language other than English, please write the statement in the body of the email in order to be translated.
  7. Photos should be original and not edited or borrowed from another entity
  8. Photos must be submitted by April 19th and will be published on April 20th.



RSS Feed on all updates on #PalHunger Strike




    Take a free subscription on the #PalHunger Daily




Video/Photography of solidarity events

 Edinburgh Scotland Marches in solidarity with #Palhunger – Apr 28, 2012
CandleLight vigil by Gaza children – Apr 28, 2012
Rally in Ramallah – April 24, 2012
Khader Adnan at the prisoner’s solidarity tent, Ramallah, Apr. 24, 2012
Release of Bassem Tamimi – April 24, 2012
Rallying for #PalHunger strikersContinuous Updates




Testimonies (former) prisoners



سنحيا كراما … مع أسرى الحرية في إضرابهم


Source: PalInfo.com



أخبار
مقابلات
تقارير
مقالات
مواد خاصة
ملفات مصورة
فيديو
كاركتير ولوحات فنية








Palestinian Prisoners
Palestine’s Prisoners – Pictures
Palestinian Prisoners Special Topic
Palestinian Prisoners –Category
The History of Israeli Torture – Topic
Child Arrests – Topic
All posts about Torture – Category
Hana Shalabi
Hana’ Yayha Ash-Shalabi – Action Alert
All Related posts about Hana Shalabi
Palestinian Hunger Strikers: A History
Palestinian Hungerstrikers –List of all names
For reliable/latest news about hungerstrikers go to Addameer
Khader Adnan
All related posts about Khader Adnan
We will not let you down Khader Adnan! – Photos & Action Alert


Hunger Strikers, Risks for Health & Life