Al Mezan Center for Human Rights is deeply concerned about the recent escalation of punitive measures implemented by the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) against Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons.

According to information available to Al Mezan, on Monday, 23 August 2022, around 4,500 Palestinian detainees refused to leave their cells for the daily security check and returned their meals. This is the first step toward the launch of an indefinite hunger strike, which, according to the Supreme National Emergency Committee of Palestinian Prisoners, will begin in early September.

This decision is a protest against the Israeli policy of administrative detention, which has increased significantly over the past year and is currently practiced on 700 Palestinian administrative detainees. The increase in the number of administrative detainees indicates an unequivocal escalation of IPS punitive measures against Palestinian detainees. It should be noted that since 2017, the IPS has also used other punitive measures against Palestinian prisoners, such as repeated cell transfers and denial of visitation rights to family members.

Yet, the fact that Palestinian detainees resort to indefinite hunger strikes from time to time, despite their severe impact and complications to their health, indicates that the other means—such as written and oral complaints and meal return—have failed to induce the IPS to refrain practicing punitive measures against them, thereby making hunger strike the only remaining option to fight for their rights.

Under the Fourth Geneva Convention, Israel, as the occupying power, is legally responsible for the well-being of Palestinian detainees and prisoners in its custody. Moreover, Israel’s systematic policy of administrative detention violates the 1955 UN Standard Minimum Rules for the Treatment of Prisoner (the Nelson Mandela Rules) as well as fair trial guarantees enshrined in the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, which entitle detainees to be informed of the charges against them, access to a lawyer, and a trial without undue delay.

Accordingly, Al Mezan calls on the international community—in particular the High Contracting Parties to the Fourth Geneva Convention and international human rights institutions— to intervene immediately and pressure Israel to respect the rights of Palestinian detainees and comply with international standards on the treatment of people deprived of their liberty.