BEIRUT, Lebanon, Aug. 15 (UPI) -- The Palestinian Islamic Hamas group Sunday warned Israel against abusing Palestinian prisoners, saying it would "not pass without punishment."
A statement issued by the head of Hamas' political bureau, Khaled Mishaal, said freeing the prisoners in Israeli jails was a priority for his movement.
Palestinian and other Arab political prisoners in Israel Sunday started a hunger strike to protest what they said was "abusive treatment" by Israeli prison authorities.
In Beirut, dozens of Lebanese and Palestinian protesters staged a sit-in in a makeshift tent in front of the U.N. building, declaring a hunger strike in solidarity with the thousands of Arab prisoners in Israel.
The protesters carried picture posters of some prisoners, including Lebanese veteran prisoner who has been held in Israel for 26 years.
The demonstrators demanded an international investigation into Israeli prison conditions of the prisoners, calling for a halt to torture and the immediate release of women prisoners and all convicts serving life terms.
