‘Israeli’ Prisons Brace for Palestinian Hunger Strike to Protest Ben-Gvir’s Plans

By Staff, Agencies

The ‘Israeli’ Prison Service is preparing for a general hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners, as well as for a rise in the number of disturbances and strikes within prisons, following the expected appointment of far-right lawmaker Itamar Ben-Gvir as War Minister.

Ben-Gvir will have control over the prison service, and has voiced his desire to worsen the living conditions of Palestinian detainees.

According to several sources in the prison service as well as sources in the Zionist entity’s ‘security’ establishment, the expected appointment of the Otzma Yehudit chairman is already leading to a rise in the number of strikes and disturbances.

The heads of the Palestinian resistance factions in the Zionist regime’s prisons, namely Hamas and Fatah, are closely following Ben-Gvir's statements especially those about worsening current prison conditions.

The director of the Palestinian Prisoner's Society, Kadoura Fares, confirmed that a violation of the prisoners' rights and their living conditions in the prisons will lead to confrontation and conflict. "For the prisoners this will be a battle of life and death that will have consequences in the prisons as well as outside the prisons, because this is an issue that is connected to every Palestinian home," Fares said.

According to Fares, the ‘Israeli’ regime should learn from past experiences that any personal whim of this or that minister cannot be implemented because it will put the whole system into a war of attrition.

Last week, the prisoners' leadership issued a statement in response to Ben-Gvir's comments regarding the prisoners saying, "We strongly reject any attempt to turn the issue of the prisoners into propaganda material for the government being formed, and we will be openly campaigning if the achievements of the prisoners and their rights in a just struggle are undermined.”