The Euro-Mediterranean Human Rights Monitor is urging states parties to the Geneva Conventions to hold an emergency meeting to discuss the deteriorating state of Palestinian prisoners on hungerstrike in Israeli jails.

Palestinians detainees in Israeli jails began on 23 April 2014 a mass hungerstrike as a protest to administrative detention, and to demand improved detention conditions, an end to solitary confinement and family visits for all detainees.

According to Article 9 of the ICCPR, no one should be subjected to arbitrary detention. Additionally, deprivation of liberty must be based on grounds and procedures established by law. Detainees must be informed at the time of arrest of the reasons for their arrest and must also have access to a court empowered to rule without delay on the lawfulness of their detention and order their release if the detention is unlawful. Although Israel ratified the ICCPR in 1991, it has derogated from its obligations under Article 9. In contrary, for decades, the Israeli authorities have applied a policy of detention of Palestinians without charge or trial under renewable detention orders, denying them any semblance of justice.

As Palestinian detainees are entering their 26^th day of hungerstrike, the Euro-Med Monitor is calling upon states parties of Geneva conventions, particularly the Palestinian Authority, to call on the Israeli Authorities to release all administrative detainees unless they are promptly charged with internationally recognizable criminal offences and tried in accordance with international fair trial standards and to end the practice of administrative detention.

The Palestinian Authority should call for an emergency meeting of states parties to Geneva Conventions in order to pressure Israel to respect its obligations as an occupying power, and thus ensure the protection of the fundamental rights of the Palestinian population in the OPT, and to treat them humanely at all times.

Palestinian administrative detainees and prisoners have been subjected by the Israeli Authorities to severe violations such as cruel and degrading treatment during their detention, including punishment for hunger strikes, and the use of torture and other ill-treatment during interrogation. As the health of the Palestinians prisoners on hungerstrike is deteriorating, the Palestinian Authority and the international community is called to take acute action to hold Israel accountable.