Students in front of the tent for the hunger strikers

Birzeit, December 8 1998 Thirty-five students entered their second day of an open-ended hunger strike today at Birzeit University. Messages of support from around the world arrived at the university as students continued their solidarity action with Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons.

During the evening of the first day of the hunger strike, students learned that fellow Birzeit University student Naser I'riqat had been shot in the head by Israeli soldiers during clashes in Abu Dis, Jerusalem. Naser, 20 years old and a third year Commerce student, was attempting to bring his younger brother down from the roof of their home in the center of Abu Dis during clashes between Israeli soldiers and settlers and Palestinian youth. While on the roof, Naser was hit by a rubber coated steel bullet in the head, causing severe damage to his skull and brain.

After emergency surgery and attempts to repair the damage caused by the bullet, Naser I'riqat was pronounced clinically dead at Muqassad hospital in Jerusalem, and continues to breathe only through the assistance of a life support system.

Students gathering before a march to commemorate the martyrs of the Intifada

News of the incident deeply shook the students on hunger strike, with two of Naser's close friends participating in the hunger strike. "Naser never liked getting involved in clashes," commented one of the two friends who had previously arranged to meet Naser that same day before the incident. "But these days, you cannot even be safe in your own house anymore?"

Activities were also conducted on campus to commemorate the anniversary of the Intifada, including a procession on campus in memorial of those students whose lives were lost during the Intifada. To date, fourteen Birzeit students have been killed as a direct result of the Israeli occupation, since Birzeit became a university.

ARABIC INTERVIEW Click here to watch a streaming Real Video interview by Birzeit Human Rights Action Project Co-ordinator, Hanan Elmasu, with a student leader about the hunger strike. Click here to download the file to your hard drive (707 Kb). The RealPlayer is available free from Progressive Networks' website.

ENGLISH INTERVIEW Click here to watch a streaming Real Video interview by Birzeit Human Rights Action Project Co-ordinator, Hanan Elmasu, with a student leader about the hunger strike. Click here to download the file to your hard drive (315 Kb). The RealPlayer is available free from Progressive Networks' website.

The university has declared a strike-day tomorrow to commemorate the anniversary of the Intifada. Hunger-strikers were meeting late tonight to decide what action to take, including the possibility of moving the tent to the centre of Ramallah. Solidarity tents for the mothers of Palestinian political prisoners on hunger strike have been erected in major cities throughout the West Bank. Messages of support can be sent to the students via webmaster@birzeit.edu

Relevant Links

• BZU News Open-ended Hunger Strike Launched at Birzeit University December 7th.
• BZU OutLoud Internet radio - December 5 English show - interview with a Birzeit University student about the Freedom for Political Prisoners campaign and an interview with the Birzeit University lawyer about imprisoned Birzeit students. REAL AUDIO
• BZU OutLoud Internet radio - December 5 Arabic show - a broadcast from a rally held last week at Birzeit University in support of the prisoners.
• Human Rights Action Project website at http://www.birzeit.edu/hrap