The Gilad Shalit
campaign headquarters planned to protest Tuesday at three prison facilities in which Hamas
prisoners are being held in a bid to prevent their families from visiting them. However, the Israel Prison Services, in order to avoid unnecessary friction, announced that it is cancelling family visits at two of the facilities on Tuesday.
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| Palestinian women complain of IPS security checks / Ali Waked |
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Two women visiting loved ones held in Israeli prison say were asked to undress as part of 'humiliating' security check; decided to give up on visit instead. Israel Prison Service spokesman says no change in policy |
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The Israel Prison Service announced that family visits will not be allowed on Tuesday at Hadarim Prison in Tel Mond and Shikma Prison in Ashkelon. However, visits will be carried out as per usual at Megiddo Prison, where the Shalit campaign will also be protesting.
This comes as part of the campaign's protest against the conditions in which captured Israeli soldier, Gilad Shalit, is being held in Gaza. Shalit has not been allowed to see his family, or anyone else for that matter, since he was taken captive more than three years ago.
Members of the "Army of Shalit's Friends" planned on protesting at the three prisons, the biggest in which Hamas prisoners are detained, and to block Hamas prisoners' families from visiting them.
The protests were planned as part of a series of events marking the captured soldier's 23rd birthday, the fourth birthday Shalit will spend in captivity.
Such actions were undertaken by the campaign headquarters in the past, and successfully blocked prisoners' families from entering the prisons.
Shimshon Liebman, head of the Shalit campaign headquarters, said to Ynet that he is bothered by the Prison Service's decision. "The IPS is denying us the opportunity to send a message to Gaza via the prisoners' families that the lack of reciprocity in humanitarian conditions is not something to be taken for granted that must be accepted quietly," said Liebman.
Liebman added that the protestors intended to pass on letters to the families written in Arabic asking that Gilad be allowed visitations. "It would have been enough for the subject to be brought up as a topic of conversation among them, and we would have achieved our objective," he said.
However, Liebman said, "Even the IPS cancellation of the visits is a kind of victory."
Ahiya Raved contributed to this report
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