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Ammon News - AMMAN (Jordan Times) — Foreign Minister Nasser Judeh on Wednesday said his ministry is following up actively on the conditions of Jordanians serving prison terms in Israel.

Judeh was quoted in a statement carried by the Jordan News Agency, Petra, as saying that the issue of Jordanian prisoners in Israel is a "top priority for the ministry".

During a meeting on Tuesday with members of the Lower House Palestine, freedoms and Arab and international affairs committees, Judeh said the ministry is currently looking into the possibility of sending Jordanian doctors to check on the health conditions of the prisoners, eight of whom are on a hunger strike.

He added that the Israeli government will be held accountable for any deterioration in their health.

Judeh, who is also minister of expatriate affairs, said familial visits were still possible and have never been halted, especially recently.

He noted that Jordan's embassy in Tel Aviv is currently working on organising a visit and meeting with all Jordanian prisoners in Israel, including those on hunger strike, to check on their conditions and needs.

Judeh told lawmakers that the ministry has received a written letter from Jordanian prisoners in Israel via the embassy and is following up on all the issues listed there with the Israeli authorities.

The health conditions of Jordanian prisoners in Israel has been deteriorating after they decided to refuse treatment and food supplements, Palestinian Minister of Prisoner Affairs Issa Qaraqe has said recently.

Qaraqe also said the eight Jordanians, who have been on hunger strike since early May, have each lost an average of 15 kilogrammes.

"The prisoners stepped up their protest in a bid to pressure Israeli occupation forces to meet their demands," he said.

The minister noted that Israeli prison services have isolated the hunger-striking prisoners in an attempt to pressure them to end their open-ended strike.

Activists and families of the prisoners have been staging sit-ins on a daily basis in front of the Royal Court in Amman as well as near the headquarters of the Prime Ministry to urge authorities to work for the release of the prisoners.

According to figures from the National Committee for Prisoners in Israel, there are 26 Jordanians behind bars there.

Judeh told deputies that a delegation from the ministries of foreign affairs and justice will go to Baghdad next week to meet with Iraqi officials to look into releasing Jordanian prisoners in Iraq or allowing them to complete their terms in Jordan, Petra reported.

In previous remarks to The Jordan Times, President of the Arab Organisation for Human Rights Abdul Karim Shraideh said there are around 1,300 Jordanians serving prison terms abroad on both political and criminal charges.

He said there are over 250 Jordanians imprisoned in Syria on political charges, most of them have never been tried, adding that there are some 52 in Iraq, around 25 in Saudi Arabia, six in Iran and five in the US.