We Feel Their Suffering, And Must Support Them, Say Gazans

Eyad Shohada knows what it feels like to be a prisoner in an Israeli jail – at the age of 18 he was detained and held in Ketsaoud, Al Nakab.

“At that age, it was very difficult for me and my family,” he said. “But all the prisoners are brothers, and they look after each other.”

Eyad was psychologically tortured during his interrogation, and forced to jump up and down on the spot, stood in the sun for hours on end and other such practices. But once he was sentenced, the torture stopped.

“Two people shared a 2.5 X 2.5 meter cell. We were woken at 7am, had breakfast, and could leave our cells to visit with other prisoners, study, or play volleyball,” he told me.

“There was never enough food, though. Usually breakfast was labeneh (a type of thick yoghurt), foul (brown beans), a piece of bread, and tea. Lunch would be rice and maybe a piece of fish or hamburger, and one piece of fruit – but no salads. Dinner was eggplant, beans, hummus, a piece of bread, and coffee.”

The days actually passed very quickly, he told me. “We spent the day reciting the Q’ran, having discussions, and talking about religious matters, apart from studying and exercise.”

Eyad spent his year in jail before Gilad Shalit was kidnapped, so his experience was enormously different to what current prisoners suffer, from being forced to eat rotting or weevil-infested food to with-holding of family visits, no access to education, years spent in solitary confinement, and no access to other prisoners or exercise. Tomorrow we will hear from a post-Shalit prisoner about their experience inside Israel's jails...

Like Eyad, Rawan Taharay and her friend also consider the prisoners to be their brothers. Both are students of media studies, and every day after classes they come to Al Jundy to demonstrate their solidarity, and to take photos to disseminate around the world.

“As media students we have a mission to spread the word about the situation of the prisoners through the social media,” said Rawan. “We have a facebook page and we take photos to raise awareness and encourage people all over the world to help,” she added. “There is also a men’s group with a camera doing the same as our women’s group.”

She said their numbers at Al Jundy vary every day depending on peoples’ other commitments, but there are always at least 10-15 of them, and the number is increasing daily.

“The thing I have noticed from being here every day is that a lot of women are coming here repeatedly, and sometimes even sleeping here, in support of the prisoners. They do this because they believe in the justice of the issue,” she observed.

Rawan and her friends intend to continue their work until the prisoners’ demands are met, likewise Eyad, who will continue to hunger-strike as long as it takes.

“This is my third hunger-strike,” Eyad informed me, “I feel their suffering, and our religion calls us to support them.”

Eyad Shohada on his 3rd hunger strike

Rawan and friend - have camera, will work for justice.

ENDS

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