After staging an intermittent hunger strike for some nine months, hunger striking Palestinian prisoner Samer Issawi agreed to start eating again, pending the signing of a deal later in the day. The deal would see him released to his home in Jerusalem in eight months. Update (April 23, 4:10 p.m.): Issawi has signed the deal and ended his hunger strike, Maan reports. He is expected to be released in late December of this year. Palestinian hunger striking prisoner Samer Issawi has agreed to end his hunger strike, and will be released to his home Jerusalem in eight months' time, Reuters reported…

West Bank clashes erupt after the death of a Palestinian prisoner in Israeli custody, in which two more Palestinians are shot and killed by Israeli forces. Photos by: Ahmad Al-Bazz, Anne Paq, Yotam Ronen, and Oren Ziv Clashes erupted throughout the West Bank between Palestinians and the Israeli military on Thursday over the death of Maysara Abu Hamdiyeh, a long-term Palestinian prisoner who died of cancer this week while in Israeli custody. During those clashes two more Palestinians, 18-year-old Naji al-Balbisi and 17-year-old Amer Nassar, were killed by live ammunition fired by Israeli forces near the city of Tulkarem. Funerals…

From Jenin to Gaza, Palestinians express solidarity with hunger-striking prisoners in Israeli detention. Also, Sudanese cultural celebrations, highways through Palestinian Jerusalem communities, Nabi Saleh's struggle, and pressure on an Israeli chocolatier.                        

Four Palestinian prisoners are on hunger strikes to protest their administrative detention and the conditions in which they are being held. While the EU calls on Israel to respect its obligations toward Palestinian prisoners' human rights, an Israeli NGO reports they are being treated unethically in hospital. All anyone in Israel has spoken about for the past week is ‘Prisoner X,’ the Jewish-Israeli-Australian Mossad agent held secretly by his own country, who supposedly took his own life in prison two years ago. But only a few miles from Israeli newsrooms in Jerusalem and Tel Aviv, outrage over a different type…

Some Palestinian prisoners are released while solidarity continues for those on hunger strike, demonstrations target the separation wall, settlements, and school closures, and life goes on amid Gaza's rubble.                  

The letter below was written by Eritrean refugees, held in administrative detention in Saharonim prison. Under the Prevention of Infiltration Law, they can be imprisoned for three years or more. 31/10/2012 (To whom it may concern): Subject: The judgement against Eritrean refugees in Israel As we all know, it has been years since we were compelled to leave our country as a result of a deteriorating economic and political crisis. We came to Israel to escape intolerable levels of repression and human rights violations in our country. However, we are now concerned to learn that the government of Israel is…

In a plea bargain, Bassem Tamimi was sentenced to four months in prison, ordered to pay a fine of NIS 5,000, and given an additional three-year suspended sentence. Just recently having completed a 13-month prison stint, he was arrested last month while taking part in a protest at a settlement supermarket. By Alon Aviram Ofer Military Prison -- A series of military courts operate inside a row of cramped and dilapidated cabins. An Israeli flag hung from the ceiling overlooking a line of seated and shackled defendants. Courtroom staff and defendants looked equally bored, both by the tedious bureaucratic processes…

Introducing: A new regular feature from the Activestills photography collective. Each week, we will bring you a selection of our most compelling images from movements for political and social change throughout Palestine and Israel.                       Activestills is a collective of Israeli, international and Palestinian photographers, united by a conviction that photography is a vehicle for political and social change. To stay updated on our latest images, like Activestills on Facebook  or follow @activestills on Twitter. You can also visit our flickr photostream.

A fateful moment awaits as Israel is forced to choose how it will handle the Palestinian prisoner revolt. In the next few days, something momentous will occur. A group of Palestinian prisoners on hunger strike for over 60 days will either be released from incarceration in Israeli prison without charge or trial, or they will likely die. And it will not end there, either. Many more have followed them down this perilous road of life, death and principle. In fact, thousands more. Two Palestinians—Khader Adnan and Hana Shalabi—have already crossed the finish line, securing their release from prison—through deals cut…

Palestinians based in Ramallah are giving little attention to the issue of prisoners and the recently announced prisoner exchange between Hamas and Israel. This may be a product of apathy and politicization of the issue Despite what some might have imagined would be a joyous celebration for Palestinians, the imminent release of over a thousand prisoners provoked little public reaction on the streets of Ramallah. People largely went about their business Wednesday morning as the news from the night before settled in among other issues of the day. Walking into a downtown cafe to get my morning coffee, the proprietor…

AP tries to fact-check Abbas' speech at the UN, and ends up accusing him of insufficient adherence to Israeli talking points, while making a series of embarrassing factual errors itself Generally, I sympathize with those who ask: "Shouldn’t all stories be ‘fact-check’ stories?" Still, as a frequent reader of Israeli journalism, I should be thankful for small favors, and appreciate the genre's existence in English-language media. But the only thing worse than not checking the facts, is presuming to do so, while being in error oneself. That is what happened to the Associated Press when it tried to fact-check Mahmoud…

On Tuesday, I had a unique opportunity to sit down with the Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas during his visit to Amman, Jordan.  We discussed the peace process (or lack thereof), refugees, prisoners, Gilad Shalit, incitement and diplomacy. The interview aired on CCTV News (China Central Television English language). Roee Ruttenberg: Mr. President, thank you for your joining us.  You have set a September deadline for a breakthrough in peace talks, or you will resign.  How do you define a breakthrough? President Abbas: We, first, have not said that I will resign. I said I will not run for elections.  However,…

The excellent Hebrew blog “Sachim” (kinda like the Israeli word for “mates”), which tracks the character of the young, pseudo-liberal Israeli mainstream, published a selection of pictures from the Facebook profile of one Eden Abergil, a recently discharged IDF woman soldier. The album, titled “Army.. the most beautiful time of my life :) ”  begins with fairly ordinary stuff: But then… Comment from Shani Cohen: "LOL all my loves in one picture!!! My heart is pumping hard!!!" And then… And the comments: Adi Tal: “You’re the sexiest like that…” Eden Abergil: “Yeah I know lol mummy what a day it…