The Palestinian prime minister accused Israel on Tuesday of “deliberately killing” Khader Adnan, a member of Islamic Jihad who died this morning after more than 80 days of hunger strike to protest his detention.
“The Israeli occupation and its prison administration committed a deliberate murder against prisoner Khader Adnan, refusing his request for release, neglecting him medically and keeping him in his cell despite the seriousness of his health,” Mohamed Shtayeh said.
A few hours after the announcement of the Palestinian’s death, three rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel.
The rockets fell “into open unpopulated areas” and did not require the activation of the Israeli interception system, the army said in a statement.
The Palestinian had been on a hunger strike for nearly three months and died this morning in Israeli custody, Israel’s prison services announced.
Khader Adnan went on strike shortly after his arrest on February 5.
The Palestinian had gone on hunger strike several times after previous arrests. In 2015, he went on a 55-day strike to protest detention under so-called administrative detention, in which suspects can be held indefinitely without charge or trial.
Israeli prison services said this time Adnan was charged with “participation in terrorist activities” but refused medical treatment while legal proceedings were underway. Adnan was found unconscious in his cell early Tuesday morning and taken to a hospital, where he was pronounced dead.
According to the Israeli human rights group HaMoked, Israel currently holds more than 1,000 Palestinians in detention without charge or trial, the highest number since 2003.
Israel says this process helps authorities prevent attacks and detain dangerous militants without publishing incriminating material for security reasons.
Palestinians and human rights groups say the system is widely abused and denies the right to a fair trial, as the secret nature of the evidence makes it impossible for detainees or their lawyers to organize their defense.
Source: TSF
