Islamic Movement leader launches hunger strike

 Leader of the northern branch of the Islamic Movement in Israel Sheikh Raed Salah launched an open-ended hunger strike on Sunday against his solitary confinement and mistreatment by Israeli prison authorities, according to his lawyer Muhammad Aghbariya.

Salah was detained in May and sentenced to nine months in prison for “inciting violence and terrorism,” and placed in isolation shortly after.

The Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights has appealed to end his solitary confinement, which was rejected by an Israeli court on Oct. 25 according to Palestinian prisoner solidarity network Samidoun.

Samidoun has also reported that Salah has been denied access to books given to him by visiting family members, and denied visits by prominent personalities, including Knesset member and leader of the Balad party Jamal Zahalka.

The Islamic Movement's northern branch, led by Salah, has been a vocal critic of Israeli aggressions of the Al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied al-Quds ('Jerusalem').