African refugees in Israel's Holot Detention Centre have gone on hunger strike, in protest against the imprisonment of seven Eritreans who refused to leave the country.

Israel has given many African refugees three months to take up a cash offer to leave for Rwanda or face indefinite time in jail.

Opinion polls suggest the policy has the backing of 70 percent of the population. But there are growing protests from Israel's left against the deportations.

Al Jazeera's Bernard Smith reports from Tel Aviv.