CAIRO, Aug 25 (AFP) - The Arab League hit out at Israel's "racist practices" towards the Palestinian prisoners in its jails on Wedensday, in a statement at the end of an emergency meeting on the issue here.
"The Arab League Council denounces Israel's racist practices which contravene the most basic laws of humanity, as well as international laws and conventions," the statement said.
The Council, a meeting of permanent delegates, decided unanimiously to call for "an emergency meeting of the United Nations International Commission on Human Rights to study the case of the prisoners" who have been on hunger strike for 11 days.
It also called on "the international community to play its part" by taking action against Israel and to consider the human rights abuses it was responsible for as "war crimes".
Between 3,000 and 4,000 of the 7,500 Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails have been on hunger strike since August 15 to protest at the conditions they are being held in.