Al-Ahed News – Palestinian Detainees in the Israeli occupation detention centers launched a two-day hunger strike in protest against the denial of their demands by the prison administration. One of the demands was allowing detainees to receive money that they need for canteen.
The head of the Commission of Detainees and Liberated Detainees Affairs Qadri Abu Bakr explained that prisoners would be on a hunger strike for the two coming days in case the prison administration didn’t allow them to receive money for canteen in the accounts through which they purchase their needs. He added that the detainees decided to take escalatory actions in the coming days in case the occupation authorities continued to refuse their demands.
The Ministry of Detainees and Liberated Detainees had previously announced that the Israeli prison administration has prevented sending money for canteen to the accounts through which prisoners buy their needs.
The Ministry explained in a press release that the prison administration’s unjustified decision aimed at aggravating the suffering of Palestinian detainees and preventing them from purchasing their essential needs, especially in the light of the severe shortage of basic necessities -including food and drink- that the prison administration provides to detainees, which has obliged them to buy their needs from canteen at their own expense, using money in their accounts.
It also mentioned that the occupation authorities washed their hands from the responsibility towards detainees, as they returned the money that was sent to the prisoners’ accounts a few days ago, without prior notice, in order to keep them occupied with the essential needs so that they couldn’t claim something else.
Palestinian Detainees deprived of food
The Ministry added that available food items and essential needs in the canteen are very limited and above local market prices. Nevertheless, the occupation authorities use them as a tool of punishment and annoyance of the prisoners, and prohibit them a lot of times. The Ministry cautioned against these unjust decisions that may cause a situation of furiousness among detainees, and the collective strikes that may follow.
Reportedly, the amount that each Palestinian detainee receives monthly is worth around 116.36 US Dollars, used to cover prisoners’ demands, food, and other requirements that the Israeli prison administration refuse to provide in accordance with normal needs.
