RAMALLAH, Aug 29: The international community's indifference to the plight of Palestinians on hunger strike in Israeli prisons raises questions over its desire for a Middle East peace agreement, Prime Minister Ahmed Qorei said on Sunday.

"The blindness and silence that the world has been showing towards the Palestinian prisoners' hunger strikes which has been taking place for the last 15 days can only put question marks against the whole peace process," Qorei told reporters after a meeting of his cabinet here.

The prime minister's comments came as the fast protest, designed to improve the conditions of the estimated 8,000 Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, entered its third week.

Around 3,200 prisoners are currently refusing to eat after 800 being held in Ashkelon in southern Israel suspended their protest, claiming the authorities there had agreed to some of their demands.

The prisoners are hoping their protest will lead to an across-the-board improvement in their conditions, including statutory visiting rights and an end to what they see as "humiliating" body and cell searches.

The UN's special envoy to the Middle East, Terje Roed-Larsen, has urged the Israeli government to resolve the dispute with the prisoners and called on them to guarantee the inmates' health. The Israelis have said they will not be pushed into concessions, with Public Security Minister Tzahi Hanegbi saying he is prepared for prisoners to die. -AFP