Abbas condemns Israeli assault of Palestinian prisoners

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the Israeli assault of dozens of Palestinian prisoners in the Israeli detention camp of Ofer, local Palestinian newspaper al-Quds reported on Wednesday.

Abbas was quoted as saying that he strongly condemned the Ofer incident and that such Israeli assaults violated the Israeli and the international law.

Abbas also urged the Israeli government to release all Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, while calling for a large solidarity campaign to show support to prisoners.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Prisoners' Committee planned to hold a massive demonstration on Wednesday before the headquarters of the International Committee for the Red Cross in the Gaza City against the prison incident.

Israeli guards at the Ofer detention camp on Tuesday fired tear gas and rubber bullets at dozens of Palestinian prisoners, who protested against the decision to transfer a number of prisoners to another Israeli prison.

Some twenty prisoners were wounded, among them Abdul Raheem Malluh, who is deputy secretary general of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine.

About 8,000 Palestinian prisoners are currently held in Israeli jails. The Palestinians have demanded their release, but Israel vows not to set free any involved in deadly attacks on Israelis.

Source: Xinhua