Egypt tries to broker end to Palestinian hunger strike

Egyptian mediators were yesterday trying to end a mass Palestinian hunger strike, officials reported.

Some 1,600 prisoners held in Israeli jails are refusing food and demanding both better conditions and an end to detention without trial.

The Egyptian-brokered talks mark the first time that substantive negotiations have been held to defuse the protest. Palestinian and Israeli officials confirmed Egyptian mediators are trying to reach an agreement between the prisoners and Israeli authorities.