GAZA (Reuters) - Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails agreed on Monday to an Egyptian-brokered deal aimed at ending a masshunger strike that challenged Israel's policy of detention without trial and raised fears of a bloody Palestinian backlash if any protesters died.
Most of some 1,600 prisoners, a third of the 4,800 Palestinians in Israeli jails, began refusing food on April 17 although a few had been fasting much longer - up to 77 days.
Their protest centered on demands for more family visits, an end to solitary confinement and an end to so-called "administrative detention", a practice that has drawn international criticism on human rights grounds.
Palestinian officials said Egypt had drafted an agreement in Cairo with representatives of the Palestinian prisoners, and that inmates met during the day and had agreed to the terms.
There was no immediate word from the prisoners as to whether any had actually ended their strike.
An Egyptian official involved in the talks said that under Monday's deal to end the strike, Israel had agreed to end solitary confinement for 19 prisoners and lifted a ban on visits to prisoners by relatives living in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip.
Israel also agreed to improve other conditions of detention, and to free so-called administrative detainees once they complete their terms unless they are brought to court, the Egyptian official said.
Gaza's Hamas leaders hailed the strike as a successful campaign against Israel and celebrations quickly spread to the streets where motorists honked horns, and passersby embraced and shouted "Allahu Akbar," the Arabic for "God is great."
"This is a first step toward liberation and victory," said Fawzi Barhoum, a spokesman for the Islamist group
-Sumber dipetik dari REUTERS-
Isu ni sangat hangat diperkatakan sehari dua ni. Sebagai orang Islam, aku mendoakan kesejahteraan mereka. Semoga Allah melindungi hamba-hambanya. Aminn..
Gua sokong Palestin!
