Israel: Palestinian prisoners end hunger strike after agreement with authorities

Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners on Saturday closed a 40-day hunger strike after reaching a compromise with Israel for additional family visits, according to Israeli and Palestinian officials.

Israeli prison service spokeswoman Nicole Englander said the detainees had declared an end to the strike this morning. She said that this happened after Israel reached an agreement with the Palestinian Authority and the Red Cross for prisoners to receive a second family visit per month. The main claim of the prisoners was the improvement in prison conditions.

The hunger strike has evolved into one of the longest protests with so many participants since the capture of Palestinian territories by Israel in 1967 with the country's expansion into the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza Strip.

Englander said 1,578 prisoners took part in the hunger strike and 834 ended their fast on Saturday. She said that 18 were being treated in hospitals.

Many Israelis see prisoners as terrorists and have little sympathy for their demands. More than 6,000 Palestinians are currently jailed for crimes linked to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict over accusations ranging from stone throwing to possessing weapons and attacks that have killed or injured Israeli civilians and soldiers.

Palestinians classify hunger strikers as national heroes, and the episode has led to a rare truce between two of the country's rival political groups, the Islamist militant group Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, and Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas's Fatah, Which manages autonomous enclaves in the region. Palestinians hoped the protest would attract the attention of an international community, as the Israeli occupation will turn 50 in early June.

Israeli Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan has claimed that the hunger strike was fueled by a power struggle within Fatah. He said strike organizer Marwan Barghouti had explored other prisoners to increase his position in Fatah and to establish a position as a possible Abbas successor. The Barghouti family denied such allegations.

Qadoura Fares, who heads the Prisoners 'defense group, said there had been talks between Israeli officials and a prisoners' committee, including Marwan Barghouti. He said negotiations began on Friday and were the first since the strike began. He said he had no details about the terms of the deal.

Barghouti was sentenced by an Israeli court for commanding two attacks and a bombing that killed five people. He never set up a defense, saying that the court had no jurisdiction over him.

Earlier this month, Israel released images that would show Barghouti breaking his fast. Palestinians say video is an invention.

 Source: Associated Press.