Prisoners continue hunger strike for 13th Day

Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons Sunday continued their open hunger strike for the 13th day in a row to protest the Israeli prison administration’s oppressive policy against them, according to an official. Issa Qaraqe, Minister of Detainees Affairs, told Voice of Palestine radio that the strike “has reached a new level; the lives of the ill prisoners are at stake.” He said the prisons’ administration is launching a psychological war against the prisoners to end their strike. He added that “the Arab league was asked to hold an urgent session and make necessary decisions to help the prisoners in their fight, because it is a national and Arab cause.” The National Campaign to Support Palestinian Prisoners has called for a mass strike in the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem to support the prisoners’ demands. The campaign called on Palestinian people and institutions to organize mass demonstrations next Tuesday to show support for the prisoners, while calling on mosques to focus on the prisoners' issue in the sermons and churches to ring their bells next Friday, in a “popular anger day” to support the prisoners.