Palestinian Escapee From Israeli Prison on Hunger Strike Over Punishment

One of the Palestinian inmates who escaped last month from an Israeli prison and was recaptured days later began a hunger strike on Monday “to demand better living and detention conditions,” his attorney told Al Jazeera. Mohammad Ardah has been held in solitary confinement for nearly a week of a two-week punishment and is facing a two-month ban on family visits and using the canteen, according to the report.

According to the Palestinian Authority’s Commission of Detainees’ Affairs, Ardah is in a cell with no ventilation, no personal items and no pillow or blanket. He and the other rearrested prisoners could eventually be punished by months or even years of solitary confinement,

Ardah said he was tortured during his interrogation after being recaptured, including being deprived of food, sleep and medical treatment.

Meanwhile, six other Palestinian prisoners, who are being held in Israeli prisons under administrative detention without being charged, also are on hunger strikes, the longest currently at 82 days.