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<font size=3>Palestinian political prisoners begin nonviolent action: Al
Naqab on hunger strike<br><br>
<a href="http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1426" eudora="autourl">
http://english.pnn.ps/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=1426<br>
<br>
</a>(Ramallah) Palestine News Network <br>
Thursday, 11 January 2007 <br><br>
Hundreds of Palestinian political prisoners stood in the yard of Al Naqab
(Negev) Israeli Prison during the early morning hours reading statements.
They had all been quickly penned after Israeli forces attacked their
kitchen facilities as the Palestinians slept. Regardless of being hastily
written, the sentiment was clear and consistent. The prisoners are on
hunger strike and they have withdrawn their representatives, therefore no
one will be communicating with the prison administration. <br><br>
All sections in Al Naqab are considering additional action in response to
the grave breach of the delicate balance that is struck between the
occupied and occupier in a prison that operates in direct contravention
to international law. <br><br>
When Israeli forces stormed the cells of Al Naqab Prison last night, they
concentrated on the cooking areas created by Palestinian political
prisoners to prepare meals. The Palestinians were asleep when the Israeli
forces tore through the kitchens. <br><br>
The destruction was conducted without prior warning to representatives of
the prisoners or officials of prisoner support organizations. This breach
in conduct led to a strong reaction by the 2,400 Palestinians in Al
Naqab, 700 of whom are being held in Administrative Detention. The
political prisoners demanded to see representatives of the prison
officials and organizations to find out why the sudden intrusion.
<br><br>
No answers came other than that this is a part of the escalation in
Israeli prison administration actions against Palestinians, including
repeated strip searches and harassment of visiting family members, in
addition to a worsening standard of health care in an already abysmal
state. <br><br>
Via the Ministry of Detainees and Ex Detainees Affairs, the prisoners
sent an urgent appeal to all human rights organizations and international
human rights bodies to intervene quickly in order to stop the actions of
the Prisons Department. There are currently 11,000 Palestinian and Arab
political prisoners in Israeli prisons.<br><br>
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San Francisco, CA 94110<br>
(415) 863-9977<br>
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