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by IMEMC & Agencies

Palestinian detainees, held at the Israeli Eshil prison, declared hunger strike in protest to the transfer of 27 detainees into solitary confinement, and to the ongoing violations carried out by the soldiers against them.

The Palestinian Ministry of Detainees issued a press release stating that the detainees started their hunger strike one day ago after the Israeli Prison Authority forced 27 detainees into solitary confinement.

The detainees said that the army is escalating its attacks against them, while the prison administration decided to deny family visits for one month.

Approximately two weeks ago, undercover soldiers of the Israeli Prison Administration broke into section 15 of the Ofer Israel Prison, and attacked several detainees.

The detainees said that dozens of soldiers broke into section 15, and forced them to stand under the rain for an extended period, before violently kicking several detainees and hitting them with batons.

Four of the attacked and wounded detainees have been identified as Khalil Al-Kharouf, Ibrahim Abu Al-Asal, Mohammad Ibrewish, and Shaher Al-Heeh. Soldiers also transferred several detainees from Ofer to the Hadarim prison.

Israeli soldiers carry out repeated and similar attacks against the detainees in different Israeli prisons, detention camps, interrogation and detention centers.

There are currently more than 4500 Palestinians who are still imprisoned by Israel, including 198 children, eight women, and several elected legislators and officials.

79 detainees have died in prison since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Intifada (In late September 2000) due to torture, medical neglect, excessive use of force by the soldiers and interrogators, in addition to several detainees who were executed by the arresting officers, former Political Prisoner, Palestinian Researcher, Abdul-Nasser Farawna said.

A total of 202 detainees died or were killed in Israeli prisons since 1967; dozens of detainees also died after they were released due to diseases they encountered in prison or due to complications resulting from extreme torture and bad conditions in prisons.