Israel Court Rejects Hunger Strikers' Appeals

Israel's Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by two Palestinian prisoners who have been on hunger strike for 69 days in protest at being held without charge, their lawyer told Agence France Presse.

"The Supreme Court refused both appeals," Jamil Khatib said of the move by Bilal Diab, 27, and Thaer Halahla, 34, who had appealed to Israel's highest court on Thursday to end the administrative detention orders under which they are being held.

"They will continue their strike till the end," Khatib added.

"Israeli courts do not handle administrative detention in a positive way. It shows that the intelligence services have the final word."

Halahla was arrested on June 28, 2010 and has been held in administrative detention ever since, while Diab has been held since August 17, 2011.

Both began refusing food on February 29.

Administrative detention is an antiquated procedure that allows suspects to be held without charge for periods of up to six months, which are renewable indefinitely.