A hunger strike that, at its height, involved
some 4,000 Palestinians interned in Israeli jails has ended after
nearly three weeks. Inmates of the Beersheva prison were the last to
end the fast, which was called in protest at prison conditions. A
spokesman for the prisoners said the protest was suspended after
Israeli authorities agreed to some concessions. Israel has denied
giving in to the prisoners, whose actions led to rallies in their
support in Palestinian towns. Palestinian leaders also called on the
people to avoid eating for a day, in a gesture of solidarity towards
the prisoners. The prisoners had demanded their Israeli jailers cut
down on strip searches, improve sanitation, install telephones and
allow more family visits in the jails. At one stage, roughly half of
all Palestinians in Israeli jails were participating in the protest.
The numbers fell as successive groups of prisoners began taking food
again. [more ]
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