Palestinian Prisoner Ends Prolonged Hunger Strike
A Palestinian prisoner has ended a nearly six-month hunger strike, saying that Israel agreed to release him in October. Khalil Awawdeh began his hunger strike in December after he was arrested and placed in administrative detention. Under administrative detention, Israel holds Palestinians believed to be involved in terror activity without charge or trial for unspecified amounts of time that can last months or year.
Israel has not confirmed the agreement reported Thursday morning in the Israeli and international media.
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Israel’s Supreme Court rejected two appeals for Awawdeh’s release in recent days. Doctors had warned that he was in immediate danger of dying and that he already has suffered neurological damage from his long hunger strike, during which he has mostly only had water.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad demanded Awawdeh’s release as part of the Egypt-brokered cease-fire with Israel that went into effect after last month’s conflict between Israel and Islamic Jihad in Gaza. Awawdeh was arrested by Israel in December over accusations that he is a member of a terror group.
