Palestinians stage mass hunger strike in Israeli jails
Thousands of Palestinian prisoners were staging a hunger strike yesterday in protest at their conditions in Israeli jails as militants threatened to kidnap Israeli troops to secure the release of inmates.
Prison Service spokesman Ian Domnitz said that more than half of the 3,800 Palestinians being held inside Israel had refused breakfast while a similar proportion of inmates in military-run detention facilities inside the West Bank were also thought to be refusing their meals.
A total of some 8,000 Palestinians are currently being held in Israeli prisons.
For all latest news, follow The Daily Star's Google News channel. "We have 1,464 prisoners who have refused their first meal of the day," Domintz told AFP.
The spokesman said that the protest would not be officially classified as a hunger strike until after 48 hours but disciplinary measures had already been taken as any declaration of a fast was deemed contrary to regulations.
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