Terrorist Marwan Barghouti, who is leading the hunger strike, wrote an op-ed in The New York Times, explaining his reasons for launching the hunger strike.

"After spending the past 15 years of my life in an Israeli jail, I am both witness to and victim of the illogical system of randomized arrests and terrible treatment of prisoners," Barghouti wrote in his article. "After I attempted every other option available, I decided I had no other choice but to protest the mistreatment by means of a hunger strike.

"Hunger striking is a quiet way of protest. The only ones who suffer are the ones who strike, and their loved ones. The strikers hope their empty stomachs and their sacrifice will help their message force its way out of their dark prison cells.

"Decades of experience have shown that the occupation's inhumane system of colonial and military occupation is intended to break the spirits of both the prisoners and their entire nation. The occupation hopes to accomplish this by abusing the prisoners' bodies, separating them from their families and communities, and forcing them to subjugate themselves.

"Despite this treatment, we will not give in."

The Israel Prison Service on Monday morning said, "The prisoners' hunger strike endangers their health and their lives, both of which are the responsibility of the Israeli government. Hunger strikes - especially organized hunger strikes - also disrupt the order and discipline in the jails.

"The Israel Prison Service will take steps to punish the strikers, and has already transferred several of the striking prisoners to separate wings."

COGAT Major-General Yoav Mordechai attacked The New York Times for omitting the fact that Barghouti is a terrorist and murderer, who led a terror organization responsible for the deaths of many Israelis.

"According to this American newspaper, Barghouti is a leader and member of parliament," Mordechai said. "But somehow the paper's editors forgot to mention that he is directly responsible for the murders of many Israelis, and that he led the 'Al-Aqsa Brigade' during the Second Intifada.

"It would have been better to write at the end of the article that Barghouti was convicted in 2004, after a fair trial influenced by no political agendas.

"Barghouti was convicted of murder and terror activities, and was sentenced to five life sentences and forty years in prison. He is a terrorist and a murderer."

Barghouti initiated the current hunger strike, which includes 1,187 terrorist prisoners. He was transferred from the Hadarim Prison to the Kishon Prison as punishment.