UFree Network: Israeli Occupation Intentionally Causes Physical and Psychological Hurt to Hunger Strikers

Hamdan: Medical ignorance of Shirwana is flagrant violation against humanity

UFree Network called in a press release, both International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) and World Health Organisation (WHO) upon undertaking their responsibility in exerting more pressure on the Israeli occupation authority to provide medical treatment to Palestinian hunger strikers, especially after the acute deterioration that affected their health, where three of them are at hospitals.

UFree Network condemned the Israel's actions as the rejection of providing medications to the Palestinian prisoner Ayman Shirwana, a 63-day hunger striker, in addition to blackmail and haggle policies practiced to stop his strike in return for an injection for his back pains. However, Shirwana did not succumb and he is still in strike until release.

UFree stated that Israeli occupation authority never stopped torturing Palestinian prisoners highlighting the intentional physical and psychological hurts practiced against hunger strikers.

Mohammed Hamdan, UFree chairman, said "What was done by occupation to Shirwana in terms of refusal of medical treatment is a crime against humanity". He added, "Providing Palestinian political prisoners and detainees with medications is a constant right in all international conventions, but occupation does not respect that and it hurts prisoners on purpose".

It is worth mentioning that Al Ramla jail clinic refused to provide Ayman Shirwana with an injection for his back pains unless he ended his hunger strike. Shirwana is one of the prisoners that were released in Shalit prisoner swap deal, but he was arrested again and Israeli military court demands reactivating his previous sentence. He suffers from back pains and he lost 25 kg of weight, besides he does not take any vitamins or sugar since the end of Eid Fiter, he only drinks water.

UFree said that four Palestinian prisoners are still in hunger strike whom are;
·Samer Al Barq – 104 days

· Hasan Safadi – 74 days

· Ayman Shirwana – 64 days

·Samer Al Essawi – 33 days, another released prisoner in the swap deal but he was arrested again.

Israeli occupation transferred Al Barq and Safadi from Al Ramla Jail clinic to Assaf Harofeh hospital due to their serious health deteriorations.

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