Palestinian prisoners suspend hunger strike after concessions

Issue 

The Palestinian prisoners holding Jordanian citizenship have suspended their hunger strike following concessions from the Israeli prison authorities to allow them regular family visits from their family members in Jordan.

This was reported in a press conference held in Amman by family members of the prisoners on August 11. The five Jordanian hunger strikers are Abdullah Barghouthi, Mohammad Rimawi, Muneer Mar'i, Hamza Othman al-Dabbas and Alaa Hammad. They had been striking since May 2 for 100 days.

The first visit will take place on August 27, and will be for four hours, without glass or bars between the prisoners and their family members. After this, the visits will be available on a monthly basis for two family members per prisoner.

An agreement has been signed to this effect, which will also apply to fellow Palestinian prisoner Ibrahim Hamed, whose wife is in Jordan. Barghouthi had not seen his family for 13 years; Rimawi has been denied family visits for 5 years.

There are reports that Alaa Hammad is still on open hunger strike and has not suspended his strike as part of this agreement.

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