Noor O. Alyacoubi

Five Palestinian prisoners are currently going through the battle of empty bellies inside the Israeli occupation prisons. Rayed Rayan, who has been on an open hunger strike for 85 days, Yacoub Qadri; 30 days, Zakeria Al-Zubaidi; 26, Abdullah Al-Barghouti; 21 days, and Mohammed Nowara; 16 days. 

Hunger strikers well know that this mean of protest might be the last in their lives. Health situations of any person might deteriorate fast with the absence of food for a long time, as the body starts to analyze its tissues in an attempt to stay alive after two weeks. Thus, the hunger striker might die after two months due to a failure in the heart. 

Administrative detention 
Over the years, the Israeli occupation authorities arrest hundreds of Palestinian prisoners administratively, without being accused with serious crimes and without knowing the reasons that led to their detention. They prevent them from meeting their families, and deprive them from their basic rights to contact their attorneys and have fair trials. They also torture them, beat them, and isolate them for long periods, affecting their mental and psychological status.

A good example for this point is Ahmed Manasreh, who was arrested at the age of 13, sentenced to 12 years in prisons and fined 180 000 NIS. Due to the harsh detention conditions, the inhuman treatment, and the psychological and physical torture, his health situation is quite critical now. 

Administrative detainees get usually sentenced to 3 months, 6 months, 8 months, a year, and more. According to the Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission, more than 50 000 decisions of administrative detention have been issued since 1967. 

Hunger strike
Hunger strikes have a long history in the global resistance movements, as prisoners tend to go through an open hunger strike to protest, attract the world's attention to their cause, or challenge the jailers.

At the Palestinian level, hunger strikes have been a main part of the Palestinian detainees inside the Israeli occupation prisons, who refuse to receive food in rejection of the undesirable treatment by the occupation jailers and illegal detention.

The success of a hunger strike depends on three factors: media circus, popular movements, and the strong will of the hunger striker. Although some prisoners succeeded in their hunger strike, their victory was temporary as their suffering returned back after a short period of time. 

Here, we should mention the prisoner Khalil Awawdeh, whose hunger strike continued for 111 days. He was promised to be released soon; thus, he accepted to end his hunger strike. Yet, after a very short period of time, he was informed that he won't be released to begin his suffering again.

As long as the Israeli occupation exists, its forces and soldiers will continue to arrest the Palestinians administratively and launch arbitrary campaigns of arrest. In return, the Palestinian detainees will continue their battles of empty bellies, hoping to change their circumstances.