THE Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) has started a series of rolling hunger strikes in Israeli prisons, demanding an end to Palestinians being jailed without trial.

The group announced that more inmates were set to join the action, following the recent victory of hunger strikers Mohammed Abu Aker and Mustafa Hassanat after 36 days without food.

Under an agreement ending their hunger strike, Mr Aker will be released in three months and his detention will not be extended again. Mr Hassanat will be released in six months.

“We, your comrades in the prisons branch, consider every victory achieved by the prisoners’ struggle to be another nail in the coffin of the administrative detention policy,” a PFLP statement said.

Israeli forces have responded harshly to the hunger strikes, launching violent attacks in Ofer prison where Palestinian prisoners have stepped up their action.

Administrative detention allows Palestinians to be held without trial or charge. The orders last for up to six months and can be renewed indefinitely.

As many as 500 of the roughly 5,700 Palestinians in Israeli jails are held in administrative detention.

Human rights organisations released a report this week showing that 615 Palestinians had been arrested in the occupied territories last month, including 93 children and nine women.