Israel Rejects Appeal By Palestinian Hunger Strikers

http://www.newsy.com/videos/israel-rejects-appeal-by-palestinian-hunger-strikers/

BY ZAKIYYAH WAHAB

ANCHOR ANA COMPAIN-ROMERO

In the link posted above you will watching multisource global video news analysis from Newsy.

Israel’s Supreme Court has rejected the appeal of two hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners who sought to be released.

The two prisoners, Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahla, have been on a hunger strike for more than 60 days, protesting their detention without charge. According to Jewish news site JTA, in its decision on Monday, the Court said the two prisoners...

“...remained a terror threat to Israel and that a hunger strike is not enough of a reason to release them.”

But the hunger strikes put Israeli officials in a difficult situation. Al Jazeera reports small groups of protesters are working to put the pressure on authorities to respond to the prisoners’ complaints.

“The groups that are here in the act by West Bank Palestinian groups and those in Gaza as well sending your message of rat saying that if one Palestinian prisoner dies while in Israeli detention on hunger strike they say the situation could deteriorate rapidly.”

As the BBC reports, the judge did express...

“...concern over their deteriorating condition, and referred the military authorities to a legal clause which could allow their release on medical grounds...”

Khader Adnan — the first Palestinian prisoner to go on a hunger strike protest for more than two months — was ultimately released from administrative detention. Adnan says he thinks the example Diab and Halahla are setting is a good one. Ynetnews quotes Adnan as saying —

“If they die, the victory will be even greater... In any case, Israel will be held responsible.”

In Israel’s oldest newspaper, Haaretz, an opinion writer urges the Israeli government to reconsider the case.

“The State of Israel cannot allow Bilal Diab and Thaer Halahla to die of hunger. It does not have the moral legitimacy to do so... It must release [them] and put and an end to the unacceptable practice of administrative detention.”

According to the AFP — Halalheh and Diab’s hunger protest began in February. In mid-April  more than 1,200 Palestinian prisoners joined in on the hunger strike in hopes of securing better conditions or release.