Gaza: Sheikh Yassin joins hunger strikers

Sheikh Ahmed Yassin, the founder and spiritual leader of the Palestinian Hamas movement, announced that he will undertake a hunger strike in solidarity with Palestinian detainees and prisoners who began a hunger strike five days ago, protesting their detention in Israeli jails and procrastination in their release.

Before his meeting with US envoy Dennis Ross, Palestinian President Yasser Arafat headed today to the strike camp where more than hundreds of hunger strikers are found.

Arafat expressed his solidarity and support of the protest, and Hamas also confirmed its support of the prisoners, highly appreciates the stand of Sheikh Yassin, and calls on the Palestinian government to remove the house arrest of Sheikh Yassin.