Palestinian Prisoners Center for Studies warned of the blackout policy practiced by Israeli Prison Service (IPS) on the news of Palestinian hunger striking detainees in Israeli jails.

   The center stated that the IPS news blackout policy reflects the seriousness of the hunger strikers’ conditions and the IPS fears that disclosing information on their conditions would lead to escalated protest moves by families of prisoners and solidarity activists.

   The center’s spokesman, Riyad al-Ashqar, said the IPS allows news only on the transfer of some striking detainees to hospitals. It has also been suspending lawyer visits in full disregard to the fact that 37 days have already passed since the start of the open hunger strike, Ashqar added.

   He called on humanitarian and health institutions including the International Committee of the Red Cross to intervene in order to reveal the health conditions of the hunger striking captives.