“My father is dying and we are dying with him everyday”, the nine-year-old Karin said during a joint press conference with Palestinian Minister of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Issa Qaraqi’ and the head of Palestinian Prisoners Club (Nadi Al-Asir) Qaddoura Faris in the West Bank city of Ramallah.

Wraidat’s hunger strike entered the 11th day on Tuesday. He went on hunger strike to protest his solitary confinement in the Israeli prison of Asqalan (Shikma).

Karin said her father has been “suffering from several diseases,” adding that the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) “barred him from receiving proper medical treatment.”

She said that the IPS “held my father in solitary confinement and punished him after he demanded medical treatment in a hospital.”

Karin urged the human rights organizations and peace activists to pressure Israeli government to release her father since “I want my father to hug and kiss me like fathers’ do to their children.”

Qaraqi’ said that Wraidat is suffering from heart diseases and shortness of breath. He called on the IPS to transfer Wraidat to a medical facility for treatment by private doctors. The minister held Israel responsible for the deterioration in his health.

He said that about 1,500 prisoners held in Israeli prisons are suffering from chronic diseases, dozens of whom need urgent medical surgeries. He added that 18 prisoners are suffering from cancer. The minister said that 75 disabled prisoners need special medical equipments like wheelchairs or medical glasses.

For his part, Faris said that “Israel is defying the international laws and treaties by depriving Palestinian prisoners of their basic needs of medical treatment, food quality, education, family visits and access to media outlets.”

Faris, also former minister of detainees and ex-detainees, warned that the prisoners may launch hunger strikes if IPS ignored their demands to improve their living conditions. The prisoners held several hunger strikes against the deteriorating living conditions in Israeli prisons and detention camps.

Faris called on Palestinian political movements and Palestinian people to “support the prisoners in their just resistance against the Israeli violations.”

On Monday, Israeli sources said that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is considering imposing sanctions on Palestinian prisoners in a bid to pressure Hamas to release abducted Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit.

The sources told Israeli daily Yediot Ahronot that Netanyahu will act on the recommendations of former Justice Minister Daniel Friedmann.

Friedmann recommended stripping the prisoners of all privileges, such as education, television, newspapers and radio. The sanctions will include drastic limitations on family visits and the revocation of the opportunity to take high school matriculation exams or study at the open university.

In addition to sanctions on entertainment media, the prisoners will be subject to stricter guidelines regarding the transfer of money for use at the prison canteen.

Since December 2009, German mediator Gerhard Konard and Egypt had failed to finalize the prisoners’ swap deal for the release of Shalit in exchange for hundreds of Palestinian prisoners. The failure is due to differences between Hamas and Israel.

According to the recent Palestinian statistics, there are 6,700 Palestinians currently held in 10 prisons and 3 detention camps in Israel and in the West Bank. There are 300 prisoners under the age of 18. Israel also holds 37 females and 13 members of the PLC.

Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said recently that there won’t be any peace agreement before the release of all Palestinian prisoners and detainees from Israeli jails.