Israel claims to show video of hunger-striker eating

The Israeli authorities have alleged that Marwan Barghouti, who is leading a mass hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, has been secretly eating, although Palestinian sources reject the claims.

On Sunday night, Israel’s Public Security Ministry published a video purportedly showing Barghouti having a meal in his prison cell.

In a statement, Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan said the footage proved that the ongoing hunger strike was not about conditions inside Israeli prisons -- as hunger strikers claim -- but rather about attempts by Barghouti to consolidate his political position.

"He lied to the Palestinian public when he claimed to be [hunger] striking," Erdan said in the statement.

Palestinian prisoner rights groups that support the weeks-long hunger strike, however, said in a statement issued soon afterward that the footage of Barghouti eating was old and that Israel was "waging a war of lies".

Barghouti's wife, Fadwa, likewise told reporters on Sunday evening that Israel was waging a campaign of "psychological warfare" against hunger-striking Palestinian prisoners.

The strike, in which some 1,500 Palestinian prisoners are currently participating, entered its 23rd day on Monday.

Since it began, Palestinians in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and the blockaded Gaza Strip have staged several marches and demonstrations to show solidarity with the hunger strikers.

A prominent Palestinian political leader imprisoned by Israel since 2004, Barghouti announced the launch of the hunger strike on April 17 to demand better prison conditions, more family visits and improved access to lawyers.

Since then, hundreds more jailed Palestinians in detention facilities across Israel have joined the hunger strike.