A Palestinian runs past a poster bearing a portrait of the Dean of Palestinian prisoners, Marwan Barghouti, in the West Bank city of Ramallah, Occupied Palestine, on May 3, 2017 (AFP/Abbas Momani)

The National Captive Movement confirmed its continued struggle inside and outside Israeli occupation prisons until the achievement of its objectives. This statement came in conjunction with the postponement by the Israeli occupation government of the discussions regarding the decision of Police Minister Itmar Ben-Gvir to curtail visits to Palestinian prisoners.

In a press release, the movement noted that "the postponement or freezing of the occupation government's discussion of the decision to curtail family visits to Palestinian prisoners in order to fit the enemy's plans will not be accepted neither by us nor our people," adding that "the challenge is big, continuously renewed and requires a unity of ranks, and a unified plan in order to preserve [Palestinian] identity, dignity, land, and sanctities."

The National Captive Movement invited the Palestinian people to participate, in mass, in the demonstration scheduled for tomorrow, Tuesday, at 9:00 PM across cities and villages throughout the country under the title "Unity of the Free - Banner of Victory".

Israeli media reported that Israeli occupation Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected the decision of Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to further restrict visits to Palestinian prisoners classified as "security prisoners" to once every two months, in an attempt to prevent escalation during the upcoming Jewish holidays.

The Israeli Ynet news website reported that the security conditions of Palestinian prisoners will not be tightened at the present time, recalling the assessments of the Israeli security establishment, which suggested that Ben-Gvir's remarks and actions would lead to an escalation and explosion of the security situation.

Despite poor health conditions, Battle of Empty Stomachs continues

The Battle of Empty Stomachs continues as three Palestinian prisoners in Israeli occupation prisons carry on with their open hunger strike which has now reached day 40.

The Palestinian prisoners Sultan Khalouf, aged 42, Kayed al-Fasfous, aged 34, and Maher al-Akhras, aged 52.

According to the Hanzala Centre for Prisoners, al-Fasfous, originally from Dora, has been imprisoned in Al-Naqab prison and carries on his hunger strike reaching day 40 days in rejection of his administrative detention. Al-Fasfous is currently facing difficult health conditions.

In turn, Sultan Khalouf, from the town of Barqin, Jenin, has been on hunger strike for 40 days also in rejection of his administrative detention. Two days ago, he was transferred to the "Ramla" prison clinic, amid a continuing deterioration in his health condition.

As for Palestinian Prisoner Maher al-Akhras, from the town of Sila al-Dahr in Jenin, he has been on hunger strike for 20 days, as he also rejected the terms of his arbitrary arrest in Al-Jalama prison.

Prisoners' Dean urges a broad national conference to end division

Detained Palestinian Resistance Commander, Marwan Barghouti, sent a message from the isolation section of the "Ofer" prison, on the second anniversary of Operation Freedom Tunnel, in which he began by saluting the "six heroes of Operation Freedom Tunnel, who are detained in solitary isolation, who had marked the start of a new era of resilience, survival and Resistance."

In his letter, Barghouti reaffirmed that "today we meet on the anniversary of the remembrance of the six heroes of Operation Freedom Tunnel who marked a new era in the history of resilience, survival, and Resistance of Palestinian people who have been enduring for more than a hundred years of struggle and resistance."

"This heroic Operation cheered the entire world, and gained the respect and appreciation of Palestinians and free Arabs across the world," Barghouti said reaffirming that "this heroism was a shock to the Israeli occupation, reigniting the cause of [Palestinian] prisoners and their freedom."

Moreover, Barghouti said the operation had "reaffirmed the will of prisoners, who have not been broken by the long years of pain and suffering, to attain freedom."

Barghouti also noted, "that this anniversary [of the operation] coincides with the escalation of the fascist occupation government through its policy of marginalizing and isolating the Palestinian cause in preparation for its liquidation."

The occupation government explained the leader, has sought to achieve its goal "by flooding the [West] Bank and al-Quds with hundreds of thousands of settlers and perpetuating the policy of creeping annexation."

In response to such actions, Barghouti stressed the importance of "addressing current challenges, the most important of which is [Israeli] settlement," which according to the imprisoned leader "requires the rearranging the Palestinian house through a national conference for inclusive dialogue, setting a timetable for holding presidential and legislative elections, rebuilding and developing the Palestine Liberation Organization, and integrating the Hamas and [Palestinian] jihad movements into it, so that the Organization can truly reflect the unity of Palestinian representation."