Palestinians block roads, protest through West Bank in support of prisoners in Israeli lockups
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Palestinians are holding demonstrations across the West Bank in a show of solidarity with prisoners on hunger strike in Israeli jails.
In Bethlehem, Israeli forces dispersed several dozen activists who blocked a road on Monday. There were no reports of injuries. In the West Bank city of Ramallah, about 50 activists demonstrated at a U.N. office.
The hunger strikers, who include a man who is said to be in critical condition after staging an on-again, off-again strike for more than 200 days, say they are being unfairly held and are demanding to be released.
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Israel is holding some 4,500 Palestinians for charges ranging from throwing stones to undertaking deadly militant attacks.
Their incarceration is a sensitive issue for Palestinians, who see them as heroes of the Palestinian liberation struggle.