Islamic Jihad: Israel fully responsible for hunger-striking top official’s life
The Gaza-based Islamic Jihad resistance movement has held the Israeli regime fully responsible for any harm to its high-profile official Sheikh Khader Adnan, who has been on hunger strike for more than 70 days in protest at his detention, warning of a harsh response if he loses his life.
Khaled al-Batsh, a member of the politburo of the Islamic Jihad, called on international bodies and institutions on Tuesday to exert pressure on the Tel Aviv regime and force it to end his suffering before it is too late.
He warned of Israeli officials’ attempts to issue a verdict against Adnan on trumped-up charges in order to keep him away from his family and other Palestinians.
Batsh also demanded unwavering support for all Palestinian prisoners, especially Adnan.
Adnan was detained on February 5 and immediately went on a hunger strike in protest against his illegal detention.
He is already suffering from severe health problems as a result of the strike, including frequent vomiting of blood, severe weakness, frequent loss of consciousness, difficulty in speaking, movement, sleep and concentration, and severe pain all over his body.
Over the past 20 years, Adnan has been arrested a dozen times by Israeli forces for his political and anti-occupation activities. He has spent a total of eight years behind bars.
He has gone on hunger strike four times during his detentions, the longest of which was a 67-day period in 2012 that resulted in his release and inspired other Palestinian prisoners held under administrative detention to follow suit.
In 2015, he once again went on a hunger strike for 56 days to protest his detention. He did the same in 2018 for 58 days.
Adnan was also arrested in 2021 and was transferred to administrative detention. He went on a hunger strike for 25 days at the time.
Hundreds of the inmates have been apparently incarcerated under the practice of administrative detention.
Human rights organizations say Israel violates all the rights and freedoms granted to prisoners by the Fourth Geneva Convention. They say administrative detention violates their right to due process since the evidence is withheld from prisoners while they are held for lengthy periods without being charged, tried, or convicted.
Palestinian detainees have continuously resorted to open-ended hunger strikes in an attempt to express outrage at their detention.
Israeli jail authorities keep Palestinian prisoners under deplorable conditions without proper hygienic standards.
Palestinian inmates have also been subject to systematic torture, harassment, and repression.
