Palestinian health ministry warns of deteriorating health of hunger strikers at Israeli jails

The Palestinian Health Ministry on Sunday warned of deterioration of health conditions of the Palestinian prisoners who went on a hunger strike at the Israeli jails, demanding medical teams to visit them to check on their conditions.

In a statement, Palestinian Health Minister Gawad Awad urged international and rights organizations to help free prisoner Bilal Kayed who spent 14 years in jail and went on a hunger strike in protest against his administrative detention. 

Kayed began his hunger strike last month in protest at his internment under Israel’s administrative detention law, which allows the country to hold prisoners without trial for renewable six-month periods.

He had served a 14-and-a-half-year sentence for activities in the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, labeled a terrorist organization by Israel, the European Union and the United States, and was due to be released on June 15.

The minister also pinpointed to brothers Mohammad and Mahmoud Balboul who started their hunger strike 28 days ago and suffering from allergic diseases and joints' pain. They have lost almost 20 kilograms of their weight since the start of their hunger strike.

Of more than 7,500 Palestinians currently in Israeli jails, around 700 are being held under administrative detention, Palestinian rights groups say.

Palestinians have regularly gone on hunger strikes to protest their detention.

Source : MENA