About 1,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel are to go on hunger strike in protest at their conditions, Palestinian media say.
The mass action comes after Israel tightened restrictions in the wake of a dramatic jailbreak by six inmates last September.
On Wednesday, a high-profile prisoner ended a six-month hunger strike after a deal with authorities.
Palestinians consider prisoners held by Israel one of their top issues.
There are some 4,500 Palestinians in Israeli prisons, according to Palestinian officials. About 700 of them are held without charge under what is known as administrative detention.
Israel says the measure is necessary for its security, but civil liberty groups say the practice is a violation of human rights.
The head of the Palestinian Authority’s prisoners’ committee said a further 1,000 detainees would join the hunger strike if the prisoners’ demands were not met.
Palestinian prisoners have periodically staged or threatened hunger strikes as a tactic to pressure Israeli authorities to improve their conditions.
Credit: bbc.com
