OCCUPIED JERUSALEM, (PIC)-- Shireen Al-Issawi, the sister of hunger striker Samer Al-Issawi, has called for greater support for the issue of hunger striking Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

She told the PIC in an interview that the Israeli occupation authorities (IOA) refused to allow medical checkups on her brother, whose health condition is deteriorating.

Shireen, a lawyer, criticized the Palestinian Authority for not heading to the UN, human rights groups and the international criminal court and filing complaints against Israel’s practices and crimes and to demand freedom for the Palestinian prisoners.

The PA should exploit the hunger strike by a number of prisoners and expose the Israeli practices against them, she said, adding that the PA should also ask Cairo to intervene in the issue in its capacity as the patron of the prisoners’ exchange agreement that stipulated among other things that those freed in the agreement would not be re-arrested and also limited the use of the administrative detention policy.

Shireen said that the Israeli court decision banning her from attending her brother’s court hearings was part of the psychological pressures on him.