JERUSALEM – A Palestinian official says about 80 Palestinian prisoners have ended their hunger strike after 63 days, after reaching a deal with Israel.
Minister of Prisoner Affairs Shawqi Al-Aissa says the hunger strike ended on Wednesday. He wouldn’t elaborate on the deal struck with the Israel Prison Authority.
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Since 2012, Palestinian prisoners have staged a series of hunger strikes, sometimes as individuals and sometimes in larger groups to protest “administrative detention,” a policy that can keep some prisoners in custody for months without charges.
Israel has defended the practice as a necessary tool to stop militant activity.
About 5,000 Palestinians are imprisoned in Israel for offences ranging from rock throwing to deadly militant attacks. Of those, some 190 are administrative detainees.
The latest hunger strike was launched April 24.
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