In his opinion piece in the Times, Barghouti said a strike was the only way to gain concessions after other options had failed.
Hamdallah said in a statement that the strike was an attempt to end arbitrary administrative detention, torture, unfair trials, the detention of children, medical negligence, solitary confinement, inhuman treatment and the deprivation of basic rights such as family visits and education. Polls suggest that Palestinians are not deterred by Barghouti's terrorist record, and is the most popular choice among them to succeed the 82-year-old Abbas.
Erdan claimed that the strike is a political stunt by Fatah official Marwan Barghouti, who is serving five consecutive life sentences for his role as commander of the Tanzim terror gang that murdered dozens of Israeli civilians during the Second Intifada, and specifically for his role in five individual killings.
Israel controls the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip, territories it has seized in the 1967 Middle East war, despite worldwide criticism.
Qadoura Fares, an advocate for prisoners' rights, said 6,500 Palestinians are now held by Israel.
Dujarric noted that clashes have taken place in the West Bank in support of the prisoners, adding: "We call on all parties to exercise maximum restraint".
Palestinian president Mahmud Abbas, in a statement carried by official news agency WAFA, "called on the global community to save the life of the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails".
"The New York Times has provided a platform to a terrorist without noting the fact that he planned and carried out the cold blooded murder of Jews simply for having been Jews", she said. "Some have been killed while in detention", he wrote.
The Israeli Prison Service issued a statement threatening disciplinary measures for hunger striking. "It is to be emphasized that the (prison service) does not negotiate with prisoners".
Israeli officials have dealt with hunger strikes on the part of Palestinian protestors before, however, they are clearly rattled by the scale of this one, which comes as the global community recognizes the 50 anniversary of the Israeli occupation.
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"This massive strike sends a strong message to the Israelis, after 50 years of occupation, suppression and oppression, that the prisoners. will lead their people from behind bars", she said. They are convicted terrorists and murderers. Building new settlements in the occupied territories is considered a violation of global law.
Palestinian officials said some 1,500 inmates affiliated with all political factions including rival Fatah and Hamas were taking part in the protest.
They said some 6,500 Palestinians are now in Israeli lockups.
Prisoners' demands include improved visitation rights from family members and easier access to telephones.
As far as the Israeli government is concerned, there will be no talks with the approximately 1,187 Palestinian prisoners engaged in a hunger strike since Monday.
Meanwhile, Palestinians throughout the West Bank and some in Israel, held rallies and some observed hunger strike in solidarity with the prisoners.
Palestinians consider those held in Israeli jails as national heroes.
1,100 Palestinian security prisoners declared they will carry out a hunger strike, according to the Israel Prison Service.
Marking Palestinian Prisoners' Day, the organisation said that Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails "suffer violations classified as war crimes that need an International Criminal Court ruling".
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