Palestinian rally for hunger striker turns violent

Jerusalem, Feb 15 (AP) Protesters at a Palestinian rally in support of a prisoner on hunger strike have clashed with Israeli troops. The Israeli military says about 200 Palestinians threw rocks at the soldiers who responded with tear gas during the rally in the West Bank. The protesters called for the release of Samer Isssawi, who has been on an on-and-off hunger strike for several months. Issawi was released in 2011 under a deal that saw an Israeli soldier swapped for over 1,000 Palestinian prisoners. He was re-arrested last year for violating his release terms. Israeli Prison Service spokeswoman Sivan Weizman says Issawi is under medical supervision and hasn't been on a consistent hunger strike since he eats periodically. The issue of prisoners is very emotional for Palestinians after decades of conflict with Israel.(AP) ST KUN 02151859 NNNN