The Israeli occupation continues to practice severe arbitrary measures against the Palestinian prisoners as a form of collective punishment, especially after the ‘Freedom Tunnel’ Operation that was carried out in Gilboa prison weeks ago. Its repressive measures vary between transferring prisoners from one prison to another, searching, closing sections, and reducing the time allowed to let them go to the prisons’ yards.
The leadership of the Palestinian Prisoners’ Movement warned of launching a series of escalating steps to force the Israeli occupation to retreat from its discriminatory measures, which caused a state of tension between the prisoners and the administration of the occupation’s prisons. Accordingly, the Israeli occupation gave promises that it will end such measures. Hence, as it has not committed to any of the promises so far, most of the prisoners belonging to the Islamic Jihad movement tended to start an open hunger strike. Their number is about 400.
The prisoners insist on continuing their open hunger strike until their demands become achieved. They also hold the Israeli occupation accountable for any repercussions that might result from the current tense state that is spread in the prisons.
Insight and Analysis
- The Israeli occupation has aggravated its repressive and oppressive measures against the Palestinian prisoners. Even though such practices are a daily routine in the Israeli prisons, they were enormously increased after the 'Tunnel of Freedom' Operation. Thus, the prisoners are enraged and bothered.
- The prisoners' issue is a national one that every Palestinian cares about. It is also a crucial, main issue in the path of the Palestinian struggle. Accordingly, the Israeli occupation fears it exerts more pressure on the prisoners lest the situations become ignited, forcing it to start a confrontation with Gaza and the West Bank.
- The Israeli occupation realizes the sensitivity of the prisoners' issue for all the Palestinian people and factions.
- The Israeli occupation's comprehensive arbitrary measures practiced against the Palestinian prisoners have come within the context of a state to react, as it is a form of mental deterrence and collective punishment.
- The occupation's government adopts a general strategy based on reducing the level of tension to the minimum, and avoiding any chances that may lead to confrontations with Gaza in order to maintain the fragile state of stability in the Israeli political system and to commit to the US' desire to calm the situations in the region generally.
Possible Scenarios: based on the abovementioned, the possible scenarios can be as following:
- The Israeli occupation might reduce its arbitrary measures against the prisoners, and return them to how they were before the 'Freedom Tunnel' Operation to alleviate the state of tension in the prisons and meet the prisoners' demands. This scenario is supported by the occupation's desire not to blow up the situation, and achieve a relative state of deterrence among the prisoners.
- The Israeli occupation would continue its arbitrary measures in a way that increases the state of disturbance inside the prisoners, and aggravates the activates of rebellion and strikes among the prisoners. Hence, this scenario is weak amid the Israeli occupation's start of reducing some of its violent measures imposed on the prisoners after the 'Freedom Tunnel' Operation.
In general, the Israeli occupation will probably seek to return the situations as they were before, and re-bring calm into the prisons to end the hunger strikes the prisoners tend to start. But at the same time, it seeks to present a state of decisiveness, intensity, and deterrence.