Israeli Prison Guards Permitted To Carry Arms: Ngo

A Palestinian NGO warned Thursday against new regulations that will allow Israeli prison guards to carry firearms during cell inspections.



"[Israel is] playing with fire," Qadoura Fares, head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Society, said in a statement. "This decision is a prelude to the murder of Palestinian prisoners by a politically-driven decision."



Fares said that authorities at Israel's Nafha Prison had informed Palestinian prisoners that Israeli guards would henceforth be allowed to carry firearms during cell inspections.



The decision, Fares said, was taken after Palestinian prisoners had protested a raid by Israeli Special Forces on the prison facilities in which they had carried firearms.



Fares said the NGO had documented several similar incidents in recent years.



"If any altercation occurs between Israeli forces and Palestinian prisoners it could end in a disaster," Fares said.



He called on Palestinian security authorities to intervene to annul the decision, which, he warned, would be exploited by Israel in the future to justify the murder of Palestinian prisoners.



Israeli authorities have yet to comment on the NGO's assertions.



Over 7,000 Palestinians are currently languishing in prisons throughout Israel, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Prisoners' Affairs.



By Qais Abu Samra



englishnews@aa.com.tr



www.aa.com.tr/en - Ramallah