As many as 700 Palestinians imprisoned in Israeli jails have launched a hunger strike, with the strike expected to spread. The prisoners, who are sometimes cut off from seeing their family members for years, are demanding more visitation rights and increased access to telephones. Palestinians living in the Israeli-occupied territories must apply for a permit to even enter Israel in order to see their imprisoned family members, and these permits are often rejected. The strike coincides with Palestinian Prisoners Day, which is today.