Palestinian administrative prisoners who are on hunger strike in Israeli jails said in a statement obtained by Al-Masry Al-Youm that they would continue their strike, which they started 48 days ago, "until victory or martyrdom."
The prisoners pointed out that they had sent "enough messages, including ones to the Egyptian leadership, because they trust its people and the ability of the leaders to put an end to the series of administrative detention."
On Monday, the Israeli Knesset endorsed the first reading of a draft law on force-feeding prisoners on hunger strike.
"After the success of individual hunger strikes by Khader Adnan, Hana Shalaby, and Samer al-Issawy and others, Israel is trying to apply a law on forced feeding, which is internationally forbidden and which violates international human rights and the Fourth Geneva Convention, to break the will of prisoners," manager of the prisoners affairs committee at the Arab Organization for Human Rights Janan Abdu told Al-Masry Al-Youm in a telephone call.
The bill allows the "use of force to feed the prisoners, and in case the prisoner resists this process, the law allows to lift the degree of force required," according to a member of the Knesset Dov Hanin.
"Israeli law prohibits the use of force and coercion to feed geese, but allows the use of force to feed a person for being an Arab," Hanin said in a statement Al-Masry Al-Youm obtained. "The policy of forced feeding is not followed in any country in the world, except in the notorious US Guantanamo prison, which does not apply US laws since it is located outside of the country."
Edited translation from Al-Masry Al-Youm
