About 1,400 Palestinian prisoners are prepared to commence a mass open hunger strike against the deteriorating situation in various Israeli prisons, unless Israel Prison Services (IPS) accept their basic demands, on Sunday.
The Palestinian Prisoners and Former Prisoners’ Affairs Committee confirmed that unless Israel responds to the demands put forward by the Palestinian prisoners, about 1,400 prisoners will begin an open hunger strike, with another group joining the hunger strike on April 17th, and then another group may join on May 1st.
The committee said that the situation inside Israeli prisons deteriorated since the IPS installed electronic jamming devices in several prisons, which are believed to have an impact on their health, including dizziness, headaches, and links to cancer.
The jamming devices also prevent the prisoners from watching television shows and listening to the radio.
The committee confirmed that the prisoners said that “any deal must guarantee a dignified life, as well as maintenance of our rights,” noting they will not accept a deal that does not include the removal of these jamming devices.
The prisoners also demanded that the IPS installs public phones in the courtyards that would allow them to contact their families and to take back punitive measures the IPS imposed on the prisoners in the Negev and Rimon prisons.
Some of these punitive measures included regular raids of their cells, assaults, destruction and seizure of personal belonging, solitary confinement, heavy fines, and family visit ban.