Monday 14 May 2012

Palestinian Prisoners Mulling End to Hunger Strike under Egypt Deal

Palestinian prisoners' familiesPalestinian officials said thousands of prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails are weighing to end their hunger strike under an Egyptian mediated deal.

“A deal could be reached tonight, but it should be presented to prisoners in the Israeli jails, possibly Monday morning, for endorsement before an official announcement,” said a Palestinian official, speaking on condition of anonymity, on Sunday.

“The prisoners are looking at the deal that was agreed in Cairo, only the prisoners can decide,” said a Palestinian source close to the Egyptian-brokered negotiations with Israel. "It's the leaders of the prisoners who have the key, to say yes or no."

Some 1,550 Palestinian prisoners are on hunger strike, including two detainees who on Monday entered their 76th day without food demanding that the Zionist entity ends both solitary confinement and the use of administrative detention, a procedure under which suspects can be held indefinitely without charge.

Late on Sunday, a source confirmed to AFP that a deal regarding their demands had been hammered out in Cairo.

On Monday, Palestinian prisoners minister Issa Qaraqaa told Voice of Palestine radio that the Israeli occupation had reportedly accepted three key prisoner demands -- not renewing existing administrative detention orders, ending solitary confinement and permitting relatives from Gaza to visit detainees.

He said he believed the hunger strike could end as early as Monday, if the concessions were formally adopted by the Israeli occupation and accepted by the prisoner leadership.

Source: AFP
14-05-2012 - 15:06 Last updated 14-05-2012 - 15:06
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