Israeli ministers approved a bill Sunday that would allow prisoners on hunger strike to be force fed if their life is in danger, sparking criticism from health experts and rights groups.

Israeli ministers approved a bill Sunday that would allow prisoners on hunger strike to be force fed if their life is in danger, sparking criticism from health experts and rights groups.

The controversial move has not been supported by the Israel Medical Association (IMA) and – according to the Times of Israel – the group’s head, Dr Leonid Eidelman, said he has given doctors ‘instructions to act solely according to the demands of ethics and not to force-feed prisoners on a hunger strike.

The cabinet’s endorsement of the bill was led by Internal Security Minister, Gilad Erdan, who said that prisoners observing a hunger strike – mainly Palestinians – posed a “threat” to Israel.

The move comes on the 41st day of Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan’s hunger strike. The Palestinian government last week warned Israel it was responsible for the health of Khader Adnan.

For its part, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel stressed that force feeding was forbidden.

"Any decision on medical procedure, including feeding or nourishing a person, should be made by an independent medical team and in according to the legal rights of the patient," which include the need for consent, ACRI said in a statement.

"Hunger strikes for prisoners are a legitimate means of objection," ACRI said.

The majority of prisoners who go on hunger strike in Israeli jails are Palestinians in administrative detention, under which they held for renewable six-month periods without charge, ACRI said.