Summary
The strike, which began on April 17, followed a call by Marwan Barghouti, the most high-profile Palestinian in Israeli detention, for a protest against poor conditions and an Israeli policy of detention without trial that has applied to thousands of prisoners since the 1980s.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas said the health of the strikers was deteriorating and Israel needed to act.
Israel has resorted to force-feeding in the past, even though Israel's Medical Association opposes the policy as a form of torture.
While hunger strikes are not uncommon among the 6,500 Palestinians in Israeli jails, many of whom were convicted of attacks or allegedly planning attacks against Israel, this is one of the largest yet.
It is also likely to raise tensions between Israel and the Palestinians as the 50th anniversary of the Israeli occupation of the West Bank and East Jerusalem approaches in early June.
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