PA Says Israel Trying to Kill Hunger-striking Palestinian Prisoner

Israeli forces detain a Palestinian following a protest in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike [File: Ammar Awad/Reuters]
Israeli forces detain a Palestinian following a protest in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike [File: Ammar Awad/Reuters]
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PA Says Israel Trying to Kill Hunger-striking Palestinian Prisoner

Israeli forces detain a Palestinian following a protest in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike [File: Ammar Awad/Reuters]
Israeli forces detain a Palestinian following a protest in support of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike [File: Ammar Awad/Reuters]

The Palestinian Commission of Detainees Affairs accused Israel of seeking to end the life of Kayed Fasfous, who has been on a hunger strike for 108 days.

The Commission said reactivating the administrative detention means "an execution attempt of a slow death sentence."

Seven prisoners in the Israeli Occupation prisons continue their hunger strike in protest of their administrative detention, including Fasfous, Miqdad Al-Qawasmeh (101 days), Alaa Al-Araj (83 days), Hisham Abu Hawwash (74 days), Shadi Abu Akar (67 days), Ayyad Al-Harimi (38 days), and Louay Al-Ashqar (20 days ago).

Also, prisoner Rateb Hrebat has been on a hunger strike for 22 days in solidarity with the seven prisoners.

The Commission warned that Fasfous's health was deteriorating.

"At any moment, he could be transferred to the Ramleh prison clinic, despite his deteriorating health."

Regarding Qawasmeh, the commission stressed that his condition is also worrying, as he suffers from blood poisoning, and problems in his heart, lungs, kidneys, and liver, which affect his ability to move, speak and see.

The rest of the prisoners are in the Ramleh prison clinic.

The Commission highlighted that the “possibility for the prisoners to become martyrs increases every moment with the oppressive measures of the Israeli Occupation against them.”

There are around 450 detainees in the administrative detention out of 4,700 prisoners. Since 1967, the cases of administrative detention exceeded 54,000.

The head of the Commission Qadri Abu Baker commenced a two-week visit to meet with international parties such as Egypt, France, and Belgium.

Abu Bader would discuss the prisoners’ cause and the administrative detention in addition to putting an end to the prisoners’ agony.



Israel’s Defense Minister Says Troops Will Remain in Syrian Buffer Zone Indefinitely

Israeli soldiers patrol the top of Mount Hermon near the border with Lebanon in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights on 20 November 2023. (AFP)
Israeli soldiers patrol the top of Mount Hermon near the border with Lebanon in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights on 20 November 2023. (AFP)
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Israel’s Defense Minister Says Troops Will Remain in Syrian Buffer Zone Indefinitely

Israeli soldiers patrol the top of Mount Hermon near the border with Lebanon in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights on 20 November 2023. (AFP)
Israeli soldiers patrol the top of Mount Hermon near the border with Lebanon in the Israel-occupied Golan Heights on 20 November 2023. (AFP)

Israeli Defense Minister Israel Katz visited the Syrian summit of Mount Hermon, currently occupied by Israeli forces, on Tuesday and said Israel will remain there and in the buffer zone for an “unlimited time.”

Katz said Israel must stay in the zone to ensure “hostile forces” will not gain a foothold on the Israeli border nor anywhere within 50 kilometers (30 miles) beyond the zone, citing security for Israeli residents in the Israeli-occupied Golan Heights.

For decades, the Syrian-Israeli border remained largely quiet under a 1974 agreement that established a UN-patrolled demilitarized buffer zone after the 1973 Mideast war.

But after Syrian President Bashar Assad’s ouster in December, Israeli forces entered the 400-square-kilometer (155-square mile) buffer zone, calling it a temporary move to block hostile forces.

However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu later said Israel will stay in the zone until another arrangement is in place “that ensures Israel’s security.” That drew criticism from residents of the zone and Arab countries.