Prominent Palestine detainee dies in Israeli prison

Palestine detainee Khader Adnan (age 45), an Islamic Jihad former spokesperson, died on Tuesday after 87 days of hunger strike according to Reuters. In response to the news of Adnan's death, Islamic Jihad launched a rocket missile into Israel, further heightening tensions in the region. The recent confrontations have led to a rising death toll and injuries, and the situation remains volatile.

Khader Adnan, a Palestinian political activist from Jenin in the West Bank, was detained by the Israeli authorities on February 5, 2023, on charges of conspiring to carry out terrorist attacks against Israel. Adnan began a hunger strike on the first day of his detention to protest his detention. Unfortunately, Adnan's hunger strike came to a tragic end when he was found unconscious in his cell on Tuesday morning. Despite receiving emergency treatment and being transferred to the hospital, Adnan was pronounced dead.

Khader Adnan's most recent detention was not the first time he had been held by Israeli authorities. In fact, Adnan had been detained at least 12 times during his lifetime, and he went on a hunger strike more than five times. Adnan's most notable hunger strike came in 2015, when he refused food for 55 days to protest Israel's policy of detaining Palestinians without trial or formal charges. According to the human rights group HaMoked, Israeli authorities have detained over 1,000 Palestinians without trial or formal charges.

Khader Adnan's lawyer has strongly criticized the Israeli authorities for their handling of Adnan’s detention and hunger strike. The lawyer alleges that his requests to transfer Adnan to a hospital were repeatedly denied. In particular, the lawyer argues that the practice of temporarily releasing detainees on hunger strike if serious health problems arise was not applied in Adnan's case. The lawyer has announced plans to file a lawsuit against the Israeli authorities for medical negligence.


Sung-Hwi Kang yolo@donga.com