Palestinian protestors close Red Cross office

Mothers of Palestinian prisoners and dozens of young activists closed the Red Cross office in El-Bireh in the West Bank on Thursday in protest at the international committee’s indifference toward the Palestinian prisoners’ hunger strike.

Relatives of prisoners and human rights groups had called for a sit-in in front of the Red Cross in the city in solidarity with the prisoners, who are on their fourth week of hunger strike.

Quds Press said that the activists blocked entry of Red Cross employees into their office in protest at the committee’s “indifference” toward the issue of Palestinian prisoners. They demanded a serious stand in support of the hunger strikers.

The protestors hoisted placards in support of those prisoners and asking the Red Cross to end its state of “indifference” and to pressure the Israeli occupation authority into halting its violations of prisoners’ rights.

Palestinian young men had closed a UN office in Ramallah on Wednesday in a similar protest and blocked entry of its staff.