Palestine inmates continue hunger strike

A major hunger strike by over 100 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails has entered the seventeenth day.

The prisoners have been refusing to eat in protest against Israeli administrative detentions.

They say they are determined to continue their open-ended strike until their demands are met.

Israeli prison authorities have imposed additional restrictions on the detainees, preventing most of them from meeting their lawyers.

Most of the striking prisoners are elderly and many of them suffer from serious health conditions.

Palestinians have recently held solidarity demonstrations across the West Bank and the Gaza Strip to show support for the hunger-striking prisoners.

One of the largest demonstrations was held in the West Bank city of al-Khalil (Hebron) where thousands took to the streets.

The event was organized by the Coalition of Youth of the Intifada, Hamas, and the Islamic Jihad. It was the largest demonstration held in the city over the past seven years.

Administrative detention is a sort of imprisonment without trial or charge, allowing the Israeli regime to imprison Palestinians for up to six months. The detention order can be renewed for indefinite number of times.

As of April 1, there were 186 Palestinians held in administrative detention in Israeli jails, according to Addameer, an advocacy group for the rights of Palestinian prisoners.