Ramallah: Israel has cut the water supply to the house of Palestinian prisoner Samer Al Eisawi, in order to punish his family for his continued hunger strike.

Al Eisawi has been fasting for 161 days and Israel has decided to punish his family for his stubbornness. Israel says Samer’s father Tareq has not paid his bills, which the Al Eisawi family claim is not true and a clear pressure tactic to punish the family. “We never received any warning letter or official document from the water company informing us about such an outstanding balance,” Shireen, Samer’s sister told Gulf News.

“Israel was unable to press Samer to end his fast, so they are targeting our family,” she said.

Earlier this week, Israeli bulldozers destroyed Samer’s brother’s house early in the morning without giving the family a chance to appeal to the court to suspend or delay the demolition. Meanwhile, the Israeli Prison Service has transferred Samer’s imprisoned brother Medhat from Jalboe Prison to solidary confinement in Hadareem Prison and banned family visits including visits from his two-month-old daughter Laila who was born while her father was behind Israeli bars.

The Israeli jailers have officially told Medhat that he will be allowed to see his wife, daughter and mother until Samer ends his hunger strike. Shireen criticised the Palestinian National Authority who did not offer any kind of assistance to the Al Eisawi family. “The PNA did not offer to hire a lawyer to represent the family in court suing the water company which cut off water at our home,” she said.