[vc_row][vc_column][vc_column_text dp_text_size=”size-4″]Palestinian Khader Adnan, who was detained on suspicion of terrorism, passed away following an 87-day hunger strike. His passing raises the possibility of war between militant Palestinian organisations and Israel.
After an 87-day hunger strike, Khader Adnan, a senior member of the Palestinian militant organisation Islamic Jihad who Israel had accused of “involvement in terrorist activities,” passed away in Israeli custody on Tuesday.
According to Israel, Adnan “refused to undergo medical tests and receive medical treatment” and “was found unconscious in his cell” early on Tuesday morning. According to Israeli jail officials, Adnan was taken to a hospital but efforts to revive him were unsuccessful.
Israel was accused of medical malpractice by Adnan’s attorney. “After Adnan had been detained for 36 days, we urged that he be transferred to a civil hospital so that he could be properly monitored. Unfortunately, the Israeli prison authorities rejected such a request with intransigence, Jamil al-Khatib told Reuters over the phone.
According to the Wa’ed Prisoners’ and Ex-Prisoners’ Association, a Gaza-based advocacy group for Palestinian prisoners, Adnan, 45, is the first Palestinian to pass away as a direct result of a hunger strike.
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Who Was Khader Adnan?
Adnan was well-known in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and was originally from Jenin. The United States and other Western nations consider the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, or PIJ, with whom he was linked as a terrorist organisation.
The Wa’ed Prisoners’ Association claims that Adnan had been imprisoned by Israel 12 times and had spent eight years in total, the most of which were spent in administrative detention. Suspects are held indefinitely in what is known as administrative detention without being charged or facing a trial. Adnan protested this by engaging in at least five hunger strikes throughout his numerous detention periods starting in 2004. There were also 56-day strikes in 2015 and 66-day strikes in 2012, respectively.
Israel claims that the contentious detention strategy aids law enforcement in preventing attacks and detaining dangerous radicals without disclosing damning information for security reasons.
Israel claims that the contentious detention strategy aids law enforcement in preventing attacks and detaining dangerous radicals without disclosing damning information for security reasons.
According to the Israeli human rights organisation HaMoked, Israel is presently keeping more than 1,000 Palestinian inmates without accusation or trial, which is a record high since 2003. These inmates frequently go on hunger strikes but are usually released to receive medical attention.
Potential Escalation
Adnan’s passing raises the possibility of war between Israel and militant Palestinian organisations at a time when tension is already quite high.
Palestinian insurgents in the Gaza Strip launched missiles into southern Israel soon after his passing was reported. According to the Israeli military, no harm was done because the missiles fell in unpopulated areas.
The PIJ released a statement saying, “Our fight is still ongoing, and the enemy will once again realise that its crimes will not go unpunished.”[/vc_column_text][/vc_column][/vc_row]
