NGO cites progress in talks on jailed Palestinians

RAMALLAH

Talks have seen progress between hunger-striking Palestinians detainees and the Israeli Prison Service (IPS), a Palestinian NGO said on Monday.

Scores of Palestinians inmates in Israeli prisons have been on an open-ended hunger strike, which has been underway for eight consecutive days so far.

"IPS has agreed to install public phones for the first time inside the prisons," the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a statement.

It said a session of talks will be held on Monday between representatives of prisoners and IPS at Rimon prison, which could result in "signing an agreement that would end the hunger strike".

The hunger strike was prompted by an Israeli decision to equip prisons with signal-jamming devices with the ostensible aim of preventing inmates from smuggling cellphones into detention facilities.

Palestinian inmates, for their part, say the signal-jamming devices pose serious health risks.

According to the Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority's Committee for Prisoners' Affairs, the total number of Palestinians now in Israeli custody stands at 5,700, including numerous women and children.