Palestinian Arabs are planning a series of actions to draw U.S. President Donald Trump's attention to a hunger strike by hundreds of terrorists in Israeli jails when he visits Israel this week, officials said Sunday.
Hundreds of terrorists in Israeli jails began a hunger strike on April 17 in an attempt to pressure Israel to improve the conditions of their imprisonment.
Among their demands, as published this week, is access to no less than 20 television channels, the introduction of books, magazines and newspapers into the prison without proscribed limits, and a later time for lights out in the prisons.
The hunger strike is being led by Marwan Barghouti, the archterrorist leader of Fatah who is serving five life sentences in Israel over attacks he planned against Israelis.
Israeli authorities have already distributed video footage proving that Barghouti secretly ate in his cell despite being on hunger strike.
Trump will meet Palestinian Authority (PA) chairman Mahmoud Abbas in Bethlehem on Tuesday, and activists are calling for a general strike throughout the Palestinian territories and among Arab Israelis on Monday, AFP reported.
Supporters are also planning to display three banners in English in Bethlehem addressed to Trump, his wife Melania and his daughter Ivanka, who are travelling with him.
"We hope that Mr. Trump will pressure Israel to accede to the strikers' demands," said activist Adel Sabanay.
Amin Shuman, who heads a support group for Palestinian Arab prisoners and ex-detainees, said he hopes the issue will be addressed during the meeting between Trump and Abbas "because it is important in the eyes of the Palestinian street".
Hossam Zumlot, an aide to Abbas, told AFP on Sunday that "all fundamental questions will be on the table in the discussions".
The PA leadership "informed the American administration of the details of the strike beginning the first day," he added.
Last week, the PA official in charge of prisoner affairs said Abbas is trying to apply pressure through international sources to put an end to the ongoing hunger strike.
AFP contributed to this report.