Following the dawn prayer of the first day in the holy month of Ramadan reports of Palestinian prisoners suspending their hunger strike in Israeli jails have reached their families giving them a glimpse of hope and making their joy doubled as 41 days of hunger strike and torment have finally come to an end.
An hour after the sunrise the mothers of prisoners and their wives came to the sit-in tent in the heart of city of Nablus to the north of the Occupied West Bank but this time the reason was different: Instead of shedding tears of sadness and fear for their sweethearts they rejoiced over the victory made against Israeli jailers.
Double delight
“Allah’s grace is great to have this victory on the first day of Ramadan. The joy is for all Palestinians and it is the beginning of the liberation of the prisoners” Nagham Abu Bakr the wife of Yasser Abu Bakr told the PIC reporter.
Her only son Ahid appeared to be so happy especially that he has decided to join a sit-in in front of the Red Cross headquarters in Nablus in solidarity with prisoners along with the father of prisoner Hamza Taqtouq.
The hunger-striking prisoners suspended on Saturday morning their hunger strike after reaching an agreement with the Israeli prison authorities to meet their humanitarian demands without revealing further details about the content of this agreement.
Issa Qaraqaa the head of the prisoners’ affairs committee said in a press statement: “The prisoners suspended their strike after reaching an agreement that meet their humanitarian demands following negotiations which lasted more than 20 hours at Ashkelon prison.”
Tears of joy
The mother of prisoner Wael Al-Jagoub told the PIC reporter that her joy is indescribable as she was shedding tears and with her companions telling her: “the strike has ended” as she was telling them that they were the tears of joy.
Upon the arrival of the mother of the prisoner Munthar Sinubar other mothers of prisoners hugged her after the sit-in tent became their meeting point for over 40 days.
Since April 17 approximately 1500 prisoners in Israeli jails have staged a hunger strike they named the strike of freedom and dignity in an attempt to gain their human rights which they have lost following a series of painful penalties in Israeli jails. The health situation of most of them deteriorated during this period with dozens of them being transferred to field hospitals set up by the occupation authorities.
Arrangements to celebrate
The mothers of the prisoners and their wives spoke about the need to hold a celebration of the victory that is worthy of the sacrifices of the prisoners and their families as words of congratulations were heard from people entering the tent.
The main demands of the prisoners were the termination of the policies of administrative detention solitary confinement denial of family visits medical negligence and other basic and legitimate demands.
The detail of the agreement between the prisoners and the occupation authorities was not disclosed amid media reports suggesting that the Israeli occupation has agreed to meet the majority of the prisoners’ demands.
Activist and academic Said Abu Hijleh told the PIC reporter: “Congratulations for the victory of our brave prisoners in the battle of the empty stomachs against the Zionist system’s empty ethics. May all oppressors and their supporters go to hell.”
