Palestinian Prisoners in Israel End Hunger Strikes After Main Demands Met

Palestinian prisoners jailed in Israel have ended hunger strikes following the agreement reached after negotiations between Israel, the Palestinian Authority and the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), The Jerusalem Post reported Saturday, citing the Israeli Prison Service.

MOSCOW (Sputnik) — In late April, hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli prisons started hunger strikes demanding better detention conditions. In particular, the prisoners demanded ending solitary confinement and detention without trial and the right for more family visits. The strikes even led escalation of tensions between the Palestinian and Israeli sides, with several clashes erupted since the end of April.

According to The Jerusalem Post newspaper, the sides reached an agreement, which guarantees that the prisoners will now have two family visits per month instead of one.

The problem with family visits was reportedly caused due to the lack of finances in the ICRC, which previously paid for the transportation costs and had to cut the funding of second visits. Now, in line with the agreement, the Palestinian Authority takes the responsibility for paying the costs of second family visits.