ITUC stands in solidarity with Palestinian prisoners

The International Trade Union Confederation representing 181 million workers in national trade union centers in 163 countries, extends its solidarity with Palestinian prisoners who have declared an indefinite hunger strike to protest against violations of human rights inside Israeli Prisons.

We also support the ‘’general strike for freedom and dignity’’ held in solidarity with hunger striking prisoners and call for wider international solidarity.

For the eleventh consecutive day, more than 1,600 Palestinian prisoners detained in Israeli prisons are undertaking an indefinite hunger strike to protest against grievances, including medical negligence, administrative detention and limits on family visits. We are deeply concerned about their condition and we call upon the Israeli authorities to ensure that Palestinian prisoners are treated according to the standards set in international humanitarian law.

We add our voice to the demands of the hunger striking Palestinian detainees calling for the lifting of restrictions on family visits, improved overall detention conditions and access to medical care, including easing restrictions on access to education materials and food, as well as the installation of telephones to communicate with their relatives. We also recall that under international humanitarian law, detainees from occupied territories must be detained in the occupied territory, not in the territory of the occupying power, as enshrined in the Fourth Geneva Convention.

In this context, we reaffirm the ITUC’s position as set out in the 2014 ITUC Congress Statement, which denounces the occupation of Palestine by Israel, and pledges to mobilise for a just and sustainable peace between Israel and Palestine, in accordance with the legitimacy of international law. We also call for an end to the construction of illegal Israeli settlements and removal of existing settlements, Israel’s withdrawal from all Palestinian lands in line with the 4th of June 1967 borders, and the dismantling of the illegal separation wall.

We call upon all trade unions to support the strike for freedom and dignity.