A number of Palestinians were suffocated on Saturday after the Israeli army dispersed a march near the Ofer prison in Ramallah, north of occupied Jerusalem.
The march started from "Birzeit University" with the participation of dozens of students, at the invitation of the student blocs, in solidarity with detainees on hunger strike in Israeli prisons. Israeli soldiers fired tear gas canisters at the protesters, injuring a number of them who were suffocated. In Jenin (north), dozens of Palestinians, and the family of the hunger striker Tareq Qa´dan, went on hunger strike for the 67th day in a row. During the pause held in front of Al-Quds Open University in Jenin, the participants raised the Palestinian flag, pictures of the captive Qadan and the striking prisoners. They called for more popular and supportive movement with the prisoners, especially the hunger strikers, stressing that what is happening against the prisoners of administrative detention contrary to all international norms, and organized crime in order to undermine the lives of prisoners. Six Palestinian detainees continue their hunger strike in Israeli jails to protest their administrative detention. One of the detainees on hunger strike in prison is Samer al-Arbeed, who suffers from a difficult health condition after being tortured during interrogation. The Israeli occupation forces are holding some 5,700 Palestinian prisoners, distributed among the 23 interrogation and detention centers, including 230 children, 48 detainees, 500 administrative detainees (detainees without charge) and 1800 patients, including 700 who need urgent medical intervention. Prisoners in Israeli jails suffer from a number of Israeli violations, including deliberate medical negligence, which has claimed the lives of 221 since 1967, the latest of which was Bassam Sayeh, 47, who was recently martyred after being subjected to a policy of deliberate and systematic medical negligence by the prison administration. This resulted in violent clashes between Palestinians and the Israeli occupation forces throughout the occupied territories.
