Lives of Palestinian detainees on hunger strike in danger, ICRC

Geneva/Jerusalem, 8 May – (ANA) - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) is extremely concerned about the deteriorating health condition of six Palestinian detainees who have been on hunger strike for between 47 and 71 days. The detainees, who are demanding that the Israeli authorities put an end to their administrative detention, are in imminent danger of dying. ICRC delegates and medical staff have been visiting them since their hunger strike began. So far, more than 1,600 detainees have been on hunger strike since 17 April. Their main demands are for a resumption of family visits from Gaza and for an end to solitary confinement in Israeli places of detention. "We urge the detaining authorities to transfer all six detainees without delay to a suitable hospital so that their condition can be continuously monitored and so that they can receive specialized medical and nursing care," said Juan Pedro Schaerer, the head of the ICRC delegation in Israel and the occupied territories. (ANA)

FA/ANA/8 May 2012------------