Israeli prison officials are planning to cook succulent barbecues and aromatic breads outside cells to tempt hundreds of Palestinian inmates on a hunger strike into breaking their resolve.
Platters of West Asian delicacies such as kebabs, falafels and baklawa will be placed close to the hunger strikers to lure them out of their resolute stand.
More than 1,500 prisoners are on a strike since yesterday demanding improvement in their conditions, unlimited family visits, and cellular phones, Israeli daily Ma'ariv International reported.
The prison authority said it can't give into their demands as it would enable the prisoners into terror planning.
It has already begun to implement retaliatory steps designed to break the hunger strike. These include forbidding prisoners to smoke, and intense searches for and confiscating cigarettes.
Since tobacco is an appetite depressant, this is particularly onerous on hunger strikers, especially those addicted to nicotine, the report said.
In addition the wardens will deliberately prepare succulent barbeques just outside the prisons, forcing the hungry prisoners to smell the cooking meat. Calling upon the hunger strikers to be strong in the face of such Israeli tactics, Palestinian Authority Chairman Yasser Arafat 'hailed their fight' and asked them to be 'steadfast', a PA release said.
Public Security Minister Tzachi Hanegbi has declared: "They (striking prisoners) can starve themselves to death."
