Palestinian Hunger-Striking Prisoners on the Verge of Death

Local Editor

Two Palestinian hunger-striking prisoners Ahmad Abu Farah and Anas Shadid are on the brink of death as apartheid "Israeli" authorities continue their aggression.

The Palestinian Waed Society reported that both hunger-striking prisoners are on the verge of death adding that the apartheid "Israeli" regime is doing nothing to save their lives.

Shadid and Aby Farah had decided to stop drinking water and to boycott "Israeli" courts in response to the "Israeli" Supreme Court's rejection of their release appeal earlier on Monday.

The prisoners' lawyer Ahlam Hadad said Monday evening that Shadid and Abu Farah, who had been on hunger strike for 81 and 80 days respectively, decided to refuse water, and to boycott all "Israeli" courts and personal visitations starting 6 p.m. Monday.

The drastic move came following a series of events Monday morning, in which the "Israeli" Supreme Court rejected Hadad's appeal to release the two, while "Israeli" prosecutors instead called for the extension of their so-called "administrative detention" orders.

According to Hadad, the court disregarded and "did not take seriously" the medical reports that showed Abu Farah's and Shadid's critical health conditions, indicating that they were facing permanent dysfunction of vital organs and the possibility of severe brain damage.

She also noted that Shadid had almost entirely lost his sight and ability to speak while Abu Farah had completely lost sight in his right eye and suffers from severe headache and chest pains.

Separately, the Palestinian Prisoner's Society [PPS] said that the court was expected to issue a decision on the two prisoners' cases Monday, but that "Israeli" prosecutors had called for the Shadid and Abu Farha's "administrative detention" orders to be extended.

Until Monday, Abu Farah and Shadid had gone without food and refused all forms of nutrition except water in protest of being placed under "administrative detention" -- an "Israeli" policy of internment without charge or trial based on undisclosed evidence.

An "Israeli" court suspended the prisoners' detention orders on Nov. 18 due to the deteriorating health of the hunger strikers, but the two had expressed their commitment to continue with their hunger strikes until their "administrative detentions" are lifted completely.

Meanwhile, former hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner Bilal Kayid was released from "Israeli" jail on Monday afternoon, after he went 71 days without food in protest of his "administrative detention" until August when "Israeli" authorities agreed to release him. Brothers Muhammad and Mahmoud Balboul were released from prison last week after they too undertook successful hunger strikes lasting more than 75 days.

Rights groups had claimed that the "Israeli" entity's "administrative detention" policy had been used as an attempt to disrupt Palestinian political and social processes, notably targeting Palestinian politicians, activists, and journalists.

According to Addameer, 7,000 Palestinians were being held in "Israeli" prisons as of October, 720 of whom were being held in "administrative detention".

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team