Senior officials in Israel intend to fly doctors from a foreign country to forcibly feed security prisoners who are currently engaged in a hunger strike and who, it is feared, could require hospitalization.
Channel 2 reported that the officials decided to "import" the foreign doctors in light of the refusal of the Israeli Medical Association to forcibly feed the hunger strikers. 850 prisoners are currently engaged in the hunger strike.
MK Ahmed Tibi (Joint Arab List) slammed the plan and said that "the idea of flying doctors from abroad to perform forced feeding is an immoral manipulation aimed at bypassing the Israel Medical Association's refusal to provide for forced feeding."
He added that "the very idea is horrible and disgraceful, and that the human demands of the prisoners should be met instead of conducting a dirty struggle against them."
The terrorist's strike was joined yesterday by several of Hamas's most prominent murderers, including Abbas Said, who planned the terror attack at the Park Hotel in Netanya, Ibrahim al-Hamed, commander of the Hamas military wing in Judea and Samaria, and Hassan Salameh, a senior member of Hamas' military wing. Ahmed Saadat, the Secretary General of the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine, also joined in the hunger strike.
Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan visited the Metzada unit of the Israel Prison Service Thursday along with Major General Ofra Klinger, the Commissioner of the Israel Prison Service.
Metzada is an elite takeover unit which specializes in extreme scenarios that may develop inside prisons and wards. The main functions of the unit are to serve as a takeover unit, to engage in hostage rescue operations, return escaped prisoners, and to reinforce prison guards during emergency situations.
The Metzada unit is currently on high alert and close to the security prisons in light of the hunger strike by hundreds of Arab security prisoners. The unit carries out various activities alongside the security departments and is prepared to provide a response in case a serious event occurs in an Israeli prison.
Minister Erdan watched the takeover exercises and stated that he was impressed by the capabilities and level of preparedness of the unit. He said that the hunger strike was nothing more than an attempt to exert pressure on the State of Israel, and that the state must be prepared for all possible scenarios.