Families of Palestinian prisoners who have been on hunger strike in Israeli jails for the 31st day in a row closed on Wednesday the UN office in Ramallah city.
The families said in a statement that this move came in protest against the UN’s evasion of its responsibilities toward the Palestinian cause and silence vis-à-vis the issue of the hunger strikers.
The statement added “31 days have passed since the start of the battle of empty stomachs waged by the Arab and Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails to protest the systematic violations practiced against them by the Israel Prison Service (IPS). We have seen the UN failure to play its role in Palestine which is to protect the rights of the Palestinian prisoners and expose the IPS crimes and violations.”
The statement called on the UN to intervene immediately and urgently to protect the lives of the striking prisoners.
It also called for forming an international committee to investigate the crimes committed daily against the prisoners especially the hunger strikers to force them to break their strike.
It asked for bringing Israel to accountability for its violations of the international humanitarian law and forcing it to deal with the Palestinian prisoners in accordance with the Third and Fourth Geneva Conventions.
The statement asked the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights to announce the administrative detention a war crime and a crime against humanity that is systematically used as a form of torture against Palestinians.
It stressed on the need for a real and immediate action by the UN human rights committees to force Israel to allow the international investigation committees to visit its prisons and examine the conditions of the hunger striking prisoners.
It called on the UN General Assembly to hold an emergency session to discuss the prisoners’ strike and legitimate demands and put an end to the Israeli daily violations and threats to force-feed them which puts their lives at grave risk.
The prisoners’ families concluded the statement by expressing their deep concern over their sons’ lives and affirming that they will continue and escalate their protest steps.
