Arab League, Mashaal to raise prisoner issue at UN

Hamas leader Khalid Mashaal and Arab League chief Nabil al-Arabi agreed on Sunday to raise the issue of Palestinian and Arab prisoners being held by Israel at the United Nations. "We have discussed with al-Arabi the case of prisoners which must be addressed after they have been on hunger strike for 12 days. Those prisoners had to start a battle of empty stomachs seeking to stop the violation of their rights by Israel," Mashaal said. "They have two main demands, the first of which is to get rid of solitary confinement which some prisoners have been suffering for more than 12 years. The other demand is to end the Shalit Law." The Shalit Law was a bill passed in 2010 which sought to toughen prison conditions for Palestinian prisoners in an attempt to pressure Hamas into releasing captured soldier Gilad Shalit. The law bans family visits and meetings with lawyers, apart from what is required under international law. The Hamas chief stressed that he and President Abbas are in agreement over the issue of prisoners, adding that he contacted Abbas last on Thursday and they agreed that the Palestinian Authority would raise the prisoner issue at an international level to exert pressure on Israel. Mashaal, commenting on the delay in political reconciliation, said that there are "complexities, some disparities and some external pressures, but all that will be overcome through more intercommunication and with help from Egypt and other Arab countries." At least 1,200 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails launched an open-ended hunger strike on April 17. The latest estimates from Addameer suggest that over 2,000 prisoners are now participating in strike hunger.