Palestinians Rally in Solidarity with Hunger Strikers
TEHRAN (Tasnim) – Dozens of Palestinians Friday rallied in the southern city of Sidon in support of the Secretary-General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) and in solidarity with the hunger striking prisoner Bilal Kayed.
The protest that was organized by the PFLP was held in Sidon's Martyrs' Square and witnessed the participation of various Palestinian factions in the city, The Daily Star reported.
Holding the picture of PFLP secretary-general Ahmad Saadat and hunger striking prisoner Kayed, protesters shouted slogans in solidarity with the two figures.
Saadat was placed in solitary confinement in Rimon Prison earlier this month after he began a hunger strike in solidarity with Kayed.
Around 262 Hamas prisoners went on hunger strike, along with 93 from the leftist PLFP.
Kayed was to be released in June after serving a 14-and-a-half-year sentence for activities in the PFLP, labeled a terrorist organization by the Israeli regime, the European Union and the United States.
Instead, Israeli authorities ordered that he remain in custody under the administrative detention law, which allows for prisoners to be held without trial for renewable six-month periods.
Kayed, 35, is suffering from failing kidneys and has lost at least 30 kilos, Palestinian officials say.
PFLP spokesperson in the south, Hussein Hamdan, accused the international community of "turning a blind eye to Israel's treatment of the captives."
"We will not remain mum for long on the developments," Hamdan said, threatening that the group will "soon carry out a painful hit against the Israelis (in the occupied territories)."
PFLP announced a week of protests across Lebanon, including near ESCWA in Beirut.
Of the more than 7,500 Palestinians currently in Israeli jails, around 700 are being held under administrative detention, Palestinian rights groups say.
Palestinians have regularly gone on hunger strike in protest against their detention.
