Marwan Barghouti, one of the leaders of the hunger strike by Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, has been filmed eating in his cell.

Israel Prison Service released footage of Barghouti, a senior Fatah leader serving five life sentences for his part in directing terror attacks in which citizens were murdered, eating biscuits and a waffle bar.

The prison service did not explain say how Barghouti got hold of the food, but sources in the organisation told Haaretz that they set him up in an attempt to see whether he was really sticking to the hunger strike.

Barghouti has twice been filmed eating since the strike began. 

The first time, on April 27, he can be seen removing the biscuits from a hiding place in his bathroom, looking around to see that nobody was watching and then eating them. He then hides the wrapping and washes his hands and face.

The second time, on May 5, he was filmed eating waffle bar, using the same methods. He was also seen eating salt.

Barghouti’s lawyer, attorney Elias Sabbagh, told Haaretz in response to the video that, “This was expected as part of the psychological and media war the Israel Prison Service is conducting against the prisoners. We can’t address the content of the clip so long as they don’t let us meet with Marwan. Let us visit him and then we will check the claims with him.”

“As we’ve said all along, the terrorists’ hunger strike isn’t about their prison conditions, but only about Barghouti’s desire to bolster his status in preparation for the day after Abu Mazen,” said Public Security Minister Gilad Erdan. “Barghouti is cynically exploiting the terrorists for a hunger strike for which they are paying and will pay a heavy price, while he himself can’t restrain his own appetites.”