‘Israeli’ Forces Shell, Tear Gas Supporters of Palestinian Hunger Strikers

Local Editor

The ‘Israeli' Occupation Force [IOF] used stun grenades and fired tear gas to disperse a rally in support of hunger striking Palestinian inmates in Zionist prisons, which was taking place in the city of Bethlehem in the occupied West Bank on Friday.

The march began at the al-Azza refugee camp where the Palestinians set up a solidarity tent in support of the hunger strikers.

Protesters, carrying Palestinian flags and chanting anti-‘Israeli' slogans, had made all their way to the northern entrance of Bethlehem City when the Zionist forces intervened.

The security forces employed stunt grenades and tear gas to disperse the crowd, with the Palestinians replying by pelting stones at the troops.

One Palestinian was reportedly detained, while several people suffered from severe tear gas inhalation, Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

The hunger strike across Zionist occupation prisons began Monday as Palestinian inmates protested against their conditions of incarceration.

The hunger strikers are demanding to be moved to prisons inside the occupied territories to make it easier for families to visit, for restrictions on family visits to be lifted, for improved access to medical care and for the restoration of educational facilities, among other things.

According to the Times of ‘Israel', the number of Palestinian inmates on hunger strike in ‘Israeli' prisons had reached between 1,200 and 1,300 people by Friday.

Source: News Agencies, Edited by website team