A recent photo of hunger-striking prisoner Maher al-Akhras.  (Photo: Press Tv)

Ramallah, October 6 (RHC)-- Another Palestinian prisoner has carried out an open-ended hunger strike against his illegal detention by the Israeli regime.  Maher al-Akhras, 49 years old from Jenin city north of the occupied West Bank has been rejecting food for nearly 80 days.  He’s protesting the illegal administrative detention without charge or trial. 

The Palestinian prisoners’ society says al-Akhras insists to continue his strike until Israel releases him, despite his seriously deteriorating condition. 

In occupied Ramallah city, Palestinians held a sit-in outside the Red Cross committee office to express their solidarity with al-Akhras and other administrative detainees. 

Based on reports, over 4500 Palestinian prisoners are languishing in Israeli jails. Hundreds of Palestinian inmates are held without any charge or trial.  Human rights groups say Israel should either prosecute those prisoners or release them.  But Tel Aviv insists that they were arrested on secret reports which are inaccessible to prisoners and their lawyers. 

Israel uses the policy of administrative detention to silence the voices of Palestinians, experts say, but they add Tel Aviv lacks any concrete evidence that could be presented in an open, military court.  Moreover, Israel’s administrative detention law allows it to imprison Palestinians for renewable periods. 

Hundreds of Palestinians are held in Israeli jails without charge or trial under the illegal so-called administrative detention.  The prisoners say their hunger strike is an attempt to have their voices heard and to force the Israeli regime to end this illegal policy.