Sivan Weizman

Israel's health ministry said on Thursday the cause of a Palestinian prisoner's death remains unclear following tests on samples from his body, after Palestinian charges he was tortured in detention.

Two Palestinians held in Israeli custody without trial have ended their hunger strike but are still being treated in civilian hospitals, an Israeli prison official said on Thursday.

Israel said on Sunday it sent "an unequivocal demand" to Palestinian leaders to quell unrest, as thousands of detainees staged hunger strikes in Israeli prisons and their supporters clashed with security forces in the occupied West Bank.

Some 3,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails were staging a one-day hunger strike Sunday in protest at the death of an inmate, an official said, as security forces clashed with demonstrators in the West Bank.

Some 3,000 Palestinians held in Israeli jails were staging a one-day hunger strike on Sunday in protest at the death of an inmate, an official said, as Israel's security forces braced for demonstrations.

A Palestinian prisoner died in an Israeli jail on Saturday, sparking violence in the West Bank city of Hebron, his home town, and a call from the Territories' prime minister for a full inquiry.

Palestinian prime minister Salam Fayyad expressed shock at the death of a Palestinian in an Israeli jail Saturday and called for full details of what happened.

A Palestinian prisoner died Saturday in an Israeli jail, a prison spokeswoman said, with a Palestinian official charging he was killed during questioning and demanding an international probe.

Palestinians demanding the release of hunger-striking prisoners clashed with Israelis in the West Bank and east Jerusalem on Friday, as three fasting inmates were taken to hospitals.

Hundreds of Palestinians serving time in Israeli jails refused all food on Tuesday in solidarity with four prisoners who have been on long-term hunger strike, officials said.

Some 800 Palestinians serving time in Israeli jails were on Tuesday refusing food in solidarity with four fellow inmates who have been on long-term hunger strike, officials said.

A Palestinian medical centre said on Wednesday it had successfully carried out artificial insemination procedures by sneaking out the sperm of four Palestinians jailed by Israel.

A Palestinian medical centre said on Wednesday it had successfully carried out artificial insemination procedures by sneaking out the sperm of four Palestinians jailed by Israel.

Some 200 Arabs demonstrated outside a prison in the central Israeli town of Ramle on Monday, demanding the release of hunger-striking Palestinian inmates.

Two Palestinian long-term hunger strikers have ended weeks-long fasts after deals expected to secure their release, the Palestinian Prisoners Club said on Sunday.

Palestinian prisoner Akram al-Rikhawi ended a hunger strike of more than 100 days on Monday after authorities agreed to bring forward his release, Palestinian sources said.

Israel freed the Hamas speaker of the Palestinian parliament Aziz Dweik on Thursday after holding him without charge since January, sources on both sides said.

A group of Gazan men and women had a tearful half-hour reunion with relatives held in Israeli jails on Monday in the first such contact in more than five years, sources on both sides said.

A group of Palestinians from Gaza spent half an hour on Monday visiting relatives held in Israeli prisons for the first time in five years.

Residents of the Gaza Strip will be able to begin visiting relatives held in Israeli prisons from Monday, a spokeswoman for the Israel Prisons Service told AFP on Thursday.