Palestinian Islamic Jihad announces end to hunger strike
Israeli officials are disputing the militant group's claim that prison authorities have met the Palestinians' demands.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group said Friday it was ending the collective hunger strike launched more than a week ago inside Israeli prisons after its demands were met.
“The prisoners decided to suspend the hunger strike after they scored victory against the administration of the occupation prison authorities,” said Islamic Jihad official Tareq Ezaddin.
Israel is currently detaining more than 4,600 Palestinians, more than 500 of them for life sentences. Following the escape of six Palestinian inmates from Gilboa Prison in northern Israel last month, prison officials have postponed family visits, separated groups of Islamic Jihad prisoners and moved others into solitary confinement in an effort to prevent another jailbreak.
The Associated Press quotes the Islamic Jihad group as saying that the Israel Prison Service had agreed to call off the financial penalties and relocation of the Palestinian detainees. But an unnamed Israeli prison official denied that any agreement had been reached.
