Palestinians imprisoned by Israel declare hunger strike

JERUSALEM

Scores of Palestinians inmates in Israeli prisons declared an open-ended hunger strike on Monday to protest their conditions, according to the Palestinian Prisoners’ Association, an NGO.

In a statement, the association said that 120 detainees were currently taking part in the hunger-strike.

“And hundreds more are expected to join in days ahead,” it said.

The hunger strike was prompted by an Israeli decision to equip prisons with signal-jamming devices with the ostensible aim of preventing inmates from smuggling cellphones into detention facilities.

Palestinian inmates, for their part, say the signal-jamming devices pose serious health risks.

According to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority's Committee for Prisoners' Affairs, the total number of Palestinians now in Israeli custody stands at 5,700, including numerous women and children.