BICOM

Israel’s security forces are preparing for a possible resumption of violence in the West Bank and East Jerusalem today after tensions had appeared to calm down earlier this week.

Violent protests erupted on Sunday and Monday in the West Bank after a Palestinian man, Arafat Jaradat, died in Israeli detention on Saturday. This compounded an already tense situation after widespread demonstrations had taken place the previous week in support of four hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners. Although the situation appears to have calmed over the last several days, Haaretz reports this morning that a number of protests are being planned for today, including a demonstration at the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem and protests in Salfit and Hebron. The YNet news site says that a demonstration dedicated to the hunger strikers and Jaradat will be held in the West Bank village of Bil’in.

Meanwhile, an intermediate autopsy report into Jaradat’s death was released yesterday by Israel’s Health Ministry, following Palestinian accusations that Jaradat had been tortured.  It concluded that the rib fractures and skin marks found on Jaradat’s body were typical of having undergone intensive resuscitation in an attempt to save life. Resuscitation was reportedly performed on Jaradat for fifty minutes by prison physicians and Israel ambulance paramedics. The Health Ministry said that the examination was carried out by both Israeli and Palestinian pathologists.

It was reported yesterday that two of the long-term Palestinian hunger strikers have been admitted to Israeli hospitals following deterioration in their health. Both Samer Issawi and Ayman Sharawna had been let go from Israeli prisons as part of the 2011 deal that saw the release of Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit. However, both are alleged to have since violated the terms of their release and were subsequently re-apprehended.