Imprisoned pilot refuses to see family

Ramallah: A Palestinian pilot sentenced to two life sentences in an Israeli jail has been refusing family visits since February last year despite the occupation authorities’ granting of temporary permits to his family.

Captain Kifah Mohammad Khattab has refused to see his family while wearing the brown prison uniform, demanding to be treated as a prisoner of war instead.

He recently launched an open hunger strike demanding that Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails be treated as prisoners of war. He is the first prisoner to launch such a protest. Several Palestinian prisoners detained for extended periods without being charged have launched hunger strikes, but Khattab’s cause is different.

“The rebellious Kifah refuses the Israeli prison regulations, norms and laws which he believes are unfairly applied to the legitimate Palestinian freedom seekers,” said Maysoon Abu Awwad, Kifah’s wife in an interview with Gulf News.

“The Israeli Prison Service is offering Kifah family visits, but he refused such visits while in brown prison uniform,” she said. “The Israelis should remove this uniform before he agrees to see his family,” he added.

The last time Maysoon visited her imprisoned husband, was on Valentine’s Day last year, February 14, 2012. “It is possible for me to apply for a visit permit to see my husband, but Kifah refuses,” she said.

Kifah has a daughter Hala, 21 who is a final year student at Al Najah National University, and a son, Qusay, 17. Hala has been blacklisted by the occupation authorities on alleged security grounds and has never been granted a family visit permit. “Recently and surprisingly, the Israeli authorities secured temporary family visit permits for both Hala and Qusay, but their father refused to receive them in his prison,” said Maysoon.

The family believes that the Israeli Prison Service facilitates family visits for Khattab to put pressure on him to end his fast, a practice that is growing among many of the 5,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails.