Arab League Council Voices

The Arab League voiced full support and solidarity with Palestinian and Arab prisoners who have been on hunger strike since April 17 demanding better conditions in an unusually large protest The call was made by Arab permanent delegates at the wrapping-up of their extraordinary meeting held at the Arab League headquarters in Cairo today.
They also called on concerned international parties to exert much pressure on Israel to apply agreements and conventions to occupied Palestinian territories pertinent to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, according to a final communique.
They called Thursday on the UN and its specialized agencies to send an international probe committee to Israeli prisons to have a closer look at the conditions of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
"It's a way of struggle (by Palestinian prisoners) to demand just human and political rights, primarily treatment as prisoners of war in line with international laws, together with an end to their arrest, tragic and inhumane conditions in Israeli occupation prisoners," they said.
They denounced the continuing detention by Israeli occupying authorities of thousands of Palestinian and Arab citizens, including children, women, political leaders and elected members of parliament.
The Arab diplomats further condemned the racial incitement policy of the Israeli occupying government against Palestinian prisoners and their families and even the families of Palestinian "martyrs".
In this regard, they held the Israeli government fully responsible for the lives of all Palestinian prisoners, especially those who have gone on hunger strike, according to the concluding statement.
Therefore, the international community, including governments, parliaments and agencies, should live up to moral and political responsibilities by urgently demanding the Israeli government to apply international humanitarian law concerning the treatment of Palestinian prisoners as prisoners of war, they urged.
Earlier in the day, Secretary-General of the Arab League Ahmad Aboul Ghait called on the international community to put more pressure on Israel to halt its violations of Palestinian prisoners.
Addressing today's meeting of Arab permanent delegates, Aboul Ghait said the gathering is a message of support and solidarity with Palestinian prisoners who have been on hunger strike for three weeks.
He called on Arab countries to capitalize on international support for Palestinian rights and the UNESCO's recent resolution declaring Al-Quds (Jerusalem) as an occupied Palestinian city, by means of demanding Israel to accept a Palestinian state on the pre-1967 border.
Meanwhile, the Arab League organized a rally on Thursday as a sign of solidarity with Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails, with Arab permanent delegates and political and media figures attending.
They mainly urged the United Nations to intervene to put an end to Israeli violations and mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners.

Source: QNA