Julie Webb-Pullman: May Day in Gaza

This year in Gaza, May Day was celebrated not by workers, but by strikers and their supporters. According to human rights organisation ADDAMEER, 2000 Palestinian prisoners have now joined the mass strike launched on 17 April, but some prisoners have passed their 63rd day on hunger strike - Bilal Diab, 27, of Jenin, and Thaer Halahla, 33, of Hebron, are both at imminent risk of death, while eight other strikers have been hospitalised.

Their demands remain the same - an end to administrative detention, strip-searches, night-raids on their cells, and solitary confinement, and to be allowed family visits.

Israel remains intransigent in meeting its obligations under international law regarding the treatment of prisoners, and its refusal to end the practice of administrative detention.

Although a panel was set up even before the mass hunger strike began to consider the prisoners' demands, there has been no improvement in conditions, although it was reported that Israeli prisons commissioner Aharon Franco on Monday ordered a review of the panel's recommendations. The Israeli Supreme Court has so far not upheld any of the prisoners' appeals against administrative detention.

With at least two of the prisoners at death's door, Palestinians are making it clear there will be a major backlash if any of the prisoners die.

Dr. Khalil Al-Hayya, Member of the Political Bureau of Hamas, stressed that all options are open to force the Zionist occupation to respond to the humanitarian demands of the prisoners, adding that his movement is making intensive diplomatic efforts to end their suffering.

In Nablus, West Bank, Palestinian Prisoners Minister Issa Qaraqaa said, “We will not accept our prisoners returning in coffins from the occupation’s prisons,” adding that “If anything happens to any prisoner, the explosion will not stay inside prison walls but will extend to the outside.”

At the May Day protest in the Prisoner Solidarity Tent in the Square of the Unknown Soldier in Gaza City, families of prisoners - mothers, sisters, aunts, sons and daughters, brothers, fathers - gathered with strike-supporters from all Palestinian factions, even the Boy Scouts, to echo the prisoners' demands.

During the rally, I spoke with a dentist, a prisoner released in the Gilad Shalit exchange who spent 27 years in Israeli jails, and with a young South African visiting Gaza for the first time.

1. Dentist

2. South African

3. Helal Jaradat, released prisoner

ENDS

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