Israel declared its hospitals off-limits yesterday to the 2,800 jailed Palestinians on hunger strike, saying they could be treated in makeshift cafeterias facilities behind bars. The health minister, Danny Naveh, told Army Radio he was not prepared to endanger other patients and medical teams by admitting "these murderers". "If a field hospital has to be set up at a prisons service installation, then that is what should be done," he said.
| "Sorry, Mahmoud, don't have any lubricant for the feeding tube insertion, we left it at the real hosptial." |
Israel's public security minister, Tzahi Hanegbi, like Mr Naveh a member of the rightwing Likud party of the prime minister, Ariel Sharon's, said last week he did not care if the prisoners starved to death. The inmates at 10 jails are refusing food to force wardens to stop strip searches, allow more frequent visits, improve sanitation and install public telephones.
| Except that they aren't looking skinny yet -- cheating too much? |
About 7,000 Palestinians are held by Israel. Among the inmates are those who openly identify with militant Islamic groups. Hisham Abdel-Razek, the Palestinian minister for prisoners' affairs, branded Mr Naveh's comments "inhuman and arrogant". "Israel is behaving like a state above the law and Israeli ministers are acting as if they are above Israeli law," Mr Abdel-Razek said.
| Always entertaining to listen to a Paleo talk about the law. |
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