Occupied Ramallah -10 March 2015

Palestinian prisoners and detainees have decided to suspend their escalatory steps until the end of Israeli elections, after reaching an agreement with the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) to improve the conditions of family visits.

The agreement includes the following: allowing prisoners and detainees from Gaza to have family visits increased to an hour, allowing the entrance of children under the age of 16, allowing the entrance of clothing to the prisoners from Gaza during the visit, and allowing prisoners (from the West Bank) who were only allowed to have family visits once every two months to have visits once every month.

In addition, the occupation authorities agreed to end all punitive measures that were imposed on Palestinian prisoners and detainees by the end of the Knesset elections which will take place on 17 March 2015.

Palestinian prisoners and detainees in all prisons and detention centers were expected to launch a number of escalatory steps in protest of the repressive measures of the IPS against them.