After Palestinian prisoners held by Israel launched a mass hunger strike on Monday, Israel responded by describing these prisoners as “murderers and terrorists.”

The Israeli foreign ministry slammed the prisoners through its official Arabic Twitter account and posted a picture of leader and prominent prisoner Marwan Barghouti captioned: “Palestinian prisoners are not political prisoners. They are murderers and terrorists who have been convicted and tried.”

Hundreds of Palestinians in Israeli jails launched a hunger strike on Monday following a call from Barghouti, a Palestinian Authority official said. The Palestinian Prisoners Club NGO put the number at 1,500.

Barghouti is serving a life sentence over his role in the violent second Palestinian intifada. He is a popular figure, with polls suggesting he could win the Palestinian presidency.

The strike was called in connection with Palestinian Prisoners Day, which is observed annually. Some 6,500 Palestinians are currently detained by Israel.

source: Alarabiya