Israel withdraws phone calls, conjugal visits, education and other rights from Palestinian prisoners

RAMALLAH: The Israeli Internal Security Minister Yitzhak Aharonovitch on Wednesday announced that Israel will start revoking the Palestinian prisoners’ privileges.

The Israeli Channel 10 television quoted Aharonovitch as saying that the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) will bar the prisoners from enrolling in university studies. Israel holds some 6,700 Palestinian prisoners in 23 jails and detention camps.

He added that the IPS will block the cellular reception in jails to prevent Hamas prisoners from communicating with the movement’s prisoners in other Israeli jails and with the Hamas leaders in Gaza Strip.

The minister added that the prisoners will not have the right to conjugal visits or vacations.

According to the minister, the measures are part of the Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to take away prisoners’ privileges in order to pressure Hamas into releasing kidnapped Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit, who is still held in Hamas captivity since June 2006.

Netanyahu’s decision came in response to Hamas’ refusal to let the International Committee of the Red Cross International Red Cross (ICRC) visit Shalit.

Hamas said the ICRC should also consider the suffering of 7,000 prisoners in Israeli jails. more

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