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by Allison Deger for Mondoweiss

Today, Israeli police confronted protestors outside of prisons in both the West Bank and Israel with rubber bullets, tear gas and electric shock, arresting 15. Protesters gathered in support of approximately 2,500 Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike since April 17, 2012.

In Ramle, demonstrators amassed outside the prison medical clinic where police shot electrical currents from a Taser gun and arrested eight demonstrator chanting for prisoner rights. Later, protestors moved to the Ramle police station where those arrested where held, and seven more were taken into Israeli custody.

"They beaten us and arrested some because we refuse to leave our comrades who were arrested alone," tweeted journalist Abir Kopty, whose hand was injured by police. According to Kopty's updates, Israeli authorities also shouted expletives while arresting protestors.

Within hours, several of the detained, including a bus driver who transported the activists, were released. Although, remaining in custody is 15 year-old Ward Kayyal, who was transferred to a nearby hospital. A regular contributor to this site, Leehee Rothschild was also arrested.

Meanwhile in front of the West Bank's Ofer prison, for the third consecutive day protesters were met with rubber coated steel bullets and tear gas. Five are reported injured, including one man who was struck in the leg by a tear gas canister.

The actions come as two Palestinian on extended hunger strikes, Bilal Diab and Tha’er Halahleh, enter their 66th day of fast. Held at the Ramle prison medical clinic, today both met with an Israeli judge who refused to release the men from their administrative detention orders, or imprisonment without charge. As their health is now in imminent risk of death, the continuation of their captivity is considered a de facto death sentence.

Early this morning, the prisoner rights group Addameer posted the following update on Facebook:

No decision was made in today’s Israeli High Court hearing regarding the administrative detention of Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahleh, currently on their 66th day of hunger strike. Both Bilal and Thaer were brought to the hearing and attended in wheelchairs. During the hearing, Bilal fainted and there were no doctors present inside the court. Thaer testified to the mistreatment he has suffered since his arrest. Judge Amnon Rubenstein announced that the panel of judges would make a decision after reviewing the “secret file”, but after the review there was still no decision. He said that the parties will be informed of the decision later on, without stating when.

For more on the arrests and protest in support of the hunger strikers follow @AbirKopty and #PalHunger.

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Palestinians protest in solidarity with prisoners

QALQILIYA (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces suppressed on Friday a weekly Kafr Qaddum demonstration in support of Palestinian detainees in their struggle against Israeli prison conditions.

No one was hurt in the village after Israeli forces fired tear gas and stun grenades at the participants, but protests throughout the West Bank resulted in injuries and arrests.

Hundreds of locals and international activists participated in the demonstration in Kafr Qaddum, said Murad Eshtewi, the media coordinator of in the village. Eshtewi said the demonstration was in support of prisoners facing difficult conditions as they go on hunger strike.

Participants at the demonstration called on the Arab League to intervene and put pressure on Israel to accept the demands of the prisoners. Arab diplomats are expected to meet Sunday to discuss the issue.

Israeli forces declared Kafr Qaddum and a village near Bethlehem closed military zones as they prevented protesters from crossing points set up to separate them from settlements and settler roads.

In a third demonstration in al-Khader village, protester Ibrahim Abu Hisham was detained after forces fired tear gas and rubber-coated bullets at the participants, witnesses said. Two people were said to be injured, but their conditions were not immediately clear.

Meanwhile outside the Ofer prison, four Palestinians were injured as Israeli forces suppressed a solidarity demonstration with the prisoners who have been on hunger strike for 18 days.

Youths outside Ofer also threw rocks at the soldiers, witnesses said.

Near Hebron, two youths were detained at a protest in Beit Ummar, said Muhammad Awad, spokesman of the local popular committee. He said Israeli forces also interrupted a funeral march in the village and raided the cemetery.

Forces shot rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades, he said. Ahmad Muhammad Awad, 14, was hit in his leg with a rubber bullet and taken to a medical complex for treatment.

Forces also detained Muhammad Khalil Al-Alami, 15, and Ramzi Nasser Al-Alami, 15.

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