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Palestinians start hunger strikes to spur peace process

Hundreds of Palestinian prisoners in three Israeli jails launched a hunger strike Friday to demand their release as part of the road map to peace, and to protest at prison conditions.

The move came hours after the Palestinian leadership called for an urgent meeting of the Quartet overseeing the peace process -- the US, the UN, the EU and Russia.

The Palestinians want them to confront what they call Israel's "escalation," namely the opening of the latest stage of the controversial "security" wall and fence, and the expansion of Jewish settlements. Palestinian officials claimed 1,100 detainees had joined the hunger strike. Israeli authorities put the figure at 500.

The protest follows a riot at a fourth prison on Thursday that left 22 people injured. A day earlier, the Palestinian minister for prisoners, Hisham Abd al-Raziq, warned that such detainees in Israeli jails could riot if they were not freed as part of the road map.

The first of 540 Palestinian security prisoners and common criminals are expected to be freed next week. Israel holds about 6,000 prisoners, most of whom have not been tried.

The prime minister, Ariel Sharon, took a hard line on his return from Washington, saying Israel would insist that the Palestinian Authority honor every detail of their agreements under the road map, particularly its obligation to disarm "terrorist organizations."

But it is the Israeli government that is under fire for breaching its road map commitments.

On Thursday Israel issued a tender to build 22 new homes in a Jewish settlement in Gaza in defiance of a clear statement in the road map that Israel must freeze all settlement activity.

"A freeze is a freeze," said a US state department spokesman, Richard Boucher. "It remains a stated US policy that a settlements freeze is part of the road map and we expect the parties to abide by the commitments in the road map."
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