Palestinians protest for man on hunger strike

Palestinian children in the besieged Gaza strip have staged a rally in solidarity with a hunger striking Palestinian prisoner whose condition is critical.

“I was informed yesterday evening by the (Israeli) hospital where he is being held that he had fallen into a coma”, Jamil al-Khatib, the attorney of detainee Mohammed Allan, told AFP.

“We can not build a house if Israel says no. Israel decides whether homes are built or not”.

The Israeli High Court of Justice is expected to convene on Monday to discuss whether or not Allan should be released.

Some members of the Israeli Knesset and government are urging that Allaan be force fed under the terms of a newly adopted law, in order to prevent his death – and his release from prison. “Today it’s a prisoner in administrative detention and tomorrow it will be someone who was sentenced to jail after a fair trial”.

“His condition is stable”, said Kedar, who added that further testing of Allan’s condition would determine whether more treatment is required.

It said that the foreign ministry has prepared a complete file on the Israeli killing and wounding of Palestinian young men in the field instead of arresting them, and called on the global community to protect the Palestinians.

It labelled hunger strikes “a fundamental human right”.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas identified the man as Rafic Taj, 21, while sources had earlier reported a 16-year-old teenager called Ahmed Mahal.

Administrative detainees, along with human rights activists, have tried everything in their power to put an end to the practice – including turning to global institutions – to no avail.

“This force-feeding is trying to be imposed on doctors for security and political reasons, that have nothing to do with medical reasons”, Walden said. The judge would then weigh a doctor’s opinion, the prisoner’s position as well as security considerations before ruling in the matter, according to the Israeli physicians’ group.

Failed promises by donor countries which pledged 5.4 billion dollars last October, political tensions between the Palestinian Authority and Hamas, and Israel’s continued restrictions on materials entering the territory have all impeded reconstruction efforts.

There are approximately 400 Palestinians now in administrative detention.

“Force-feeding means premeditated execution of the prisoner”, he said. Allan began the hunger strike after his detention without charge was renewed in May, his family said.

Later Sunday, Israeli forces detained two Palestinian brothers from the village of Faroun near Tulkarm. Israeli officials must hear the voice of the world demanding that this threat of torture be stopped, and that Allan, imprisoned without charge or trial, be freed.