RAMALLAH, Palestinian Territories — Thirty Palestinian administrative detainees being held in Israeli prisons started an open-ended hunger strike on Sunday, the Palestinian news agency, Wafa, reported.

 

They are protesting their “unfair detention without charges or trial”, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Affairs Commission.

 

Hassan Abed Rabbo, a spokesman for the commission, told Wafa on Saturday that the prisoners are protesting Israel’s policy of infinitely renewable administrative detention without charging those detained or putting them on trial.

 

Another 50 prisoners are expected to join the hunger strike on Thursday, Wafa reported.

 

More than 760 Palestinians, including children, are held in Israeli administrative detention. Israeli occupation forces regularly detain Palestinians for renewable periods of thee or six months, often citing “secret evidence”.

 

Amnesty International has described Israel’s policy of administrative detention as a “cruel, unjust practice which helps maintain Israel’s system of apartheid against Palestinians”.