Gazans rally in support of hunger-striking prisoners

Hundreds of people have staged more rallies in the occupied Gaza Strip to show their solidarity with hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners inside Israeli jails, Press TV reports.

On Monday, the Palestinian protesters, including families of the prisoners, staged rallies in front of the office of the International Committee of the Red Cross to voice their support for Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike inside the prisons.

Some 290 Palestinians are on hunger strike to express their opposition to the so-called administrative detention, which is a sort of imprisonment without trial or charge that allows Tel Aviv to incarcerate Palestinians for up to six months. The detention order can be renewed for indefinite periods of time.

“Ali, my son, has been on hunger strike inside an Israeli prison for fifteen days in solidarity with the administrative detainees. We, the families of the prisoners in Gaza went on hunger strike to stand by our sons and thousands of prisoners inside Israeli prisons,” Hosni Sarfiti, a prisoner’s father said.

The protesters also called on the international community to press Israel to stop detaining Palestinians without charge or trial.

The Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO) says some 5,224 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli jails.

On June 6, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon voiced concerns over the deteriorating health of Palestinian detainees in administrative detention.