Palestinian prisoner dies in Israeli custody after months-long starvation strike

A high-profile Palestinian prisoner has died in Israeli custody after a virtually three-month starvation strike, Israel’s jail service has introduced.

Palestinian inmates have for years been staging protracted starvation strikes to protest towards their detention and to hunt concessions from Israel.

Khader Adnan, a pacesetter within the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group – is the primary to die in a long time. The 45-year-old started his starvation strike shortly after being arrested on 5 February.

His loss of life raises the potential for renewed violence between Israel and Palestinian militant teams as violence surges within the West Bank.

Shortly after his loss of life was introduced there have been clashes between Palestinians and Israeli police within the West Bank.

Palestinian militants within the Gaza Strip fired a volley of rockets into southern Israel. Palestinian teams additionally known as for a common strike within the West Bank, Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s jail service mentioned Adnan had been charged this time with “involvement in terrorist activities” however had refused medical remedy whereas authorized proceedings moved ahead.

It mentioned he was discovered unconscious in his cell early on Tuesday and transferred to a hospital the place he was pronounced lifeless.

Dawood Shahab, an Islamic Jihad spokesman, known as Adnan’s loss of life “a full-fledged crime, for which the Israeli occupation bears full and direct responsibility”.

The Islamic Jihad militant group mentioned in a press release that “our fight continues and will not stop”.

Hunger strikes have change into a final recourse for resistance towards what Palestinians see as unjust incarcerations. The prisoners typically change into dangerously in poor health by refusing meals however deaths are uncommon.

In most circumstances, Israel has finally launched them after their well being considerably deteriorated. None have beforehand died in custody however many have suffered irreparable neurological harm.

Read extra:
Israeli military shoots lifeless two alleged gunmen
Netanyahu says minister will stay in submit regardless of sacking

Israel is at the moment holding greater than 1,000 Palestinian detainees with out cost or trial, the very best quantity since 2003, based on the Israeli human rights group HaMoked.

That determine has grown prior to now 12 months as Israel has carried out nearly nightly arrest raids within the occupied West Bank within the wake of a string of lethal Palestinian assaults in Israel in early 2022.

Israel says the controversial tactic helps authorities thwart assaults and maintain harmful militants with out divulging incriminating materials for safety causes.

Palestinians and rights teams say the system is extensively abused and denies due course of, with the key nature of the proof making it unattainable for administrative detainees or their attorneys to mount a defence.