Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike call for week of rage

Palestinian prisoners on an open-ended hunger strike in Israeli jails are calling for a week of rage in the occupied territories and beyond.

The call comes amid reports that Israeli authorities are seeking to bring in foreign physicians to help them force-feed the strikers. The prisoners, who have been abstaining from food for 21 days, are warning that any such move will be treated as an attempt on their lives. They are urging Palestinians to carry on their protests and sit-ins until the inmates’ demands are met. More than 1500 detainees are taking part in the mass hunger strike to protest their jail conditions and mistreatment by Israeli wardens. The collective action has triggered relentless street protests by Palestinians. On Saturday, demonstrators held a rally in the West Bank city of Bethlehem to show their solidarity with the prisoners.