Press Statement: Dr Attallah Abu-Sebah, Gaza Minister Of Detainees’ Affairs
06 June 2012
Continuing attacks on Palestinian prisoners threaten the Karama (Dignity) Agreement
Dr Attallah Abu Sebah, Minister of Detainees’ Affairs, today highlighted continuing attacks by the Israeli Prison
Service (IPS) on Palestinian prisoners in different prisons, and the ongoing violations of the Karama (Dignity)
Agreement brokered by Egypt and signed by the leadership of the prisoners strike committee and the administration of
prison services.
Abu Sabeh confirmed in a press statement on Wednesday 06 June that repeated continuous attacks on the prisoners worsen
the situation, and will spur the prisoners to take progressive action which will be stronger and more cruel than the
hunger strike, if the IPS continues to procrastinate in implementing the items of the Dignity Agreement.
The “Nakhshon Force” operated by the IPS stormed Section 4 in Remon Prison on Wednesday on the pretext of a search. This
led prisoners to set fire to mattresses and other contents of their cells, causing suffocation.
Abu Sebah considers the brutal storming of prison sections by the Nakhshon force, notorious for attacking prisoners
because they refuse to submit to strip-searches, and storming their cells at midnight, to be evidence of the bad faith
of the IPS towards upholding any signed agreement, as well as to push prisoners to escalate their protest activities so
that things will go around in circles, in an attempt to avoid honouring any agreement signed between prisoners and the
IPS.
The Minister called upon the Egyptian brothers and the leadership of Egyptian Intelligence to immediately and urgently
intervene to put an end to the continuous Israeli breaches, and to put an end to the suffering of prisoners. He called
for them to directly follow up the implementation of the deal, and to work on guaranteeing the release of Mahmoud Sarsak
and Akram Al-Rekhhawi who are on hunger strike, and the release of all prisoners from solitary confinement.
ENDS