UPDATE – Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan dies in Israeli prison after 86 days of hunger strike

UPDATES WITH DETAILS

By Hamdi Yildiz

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan died in an Israeli prison after 86 days of hunger strike, his Islamic Jihad group said on Tuesday.

“The free hero, Khader Adnan, died as a martyr in a crime committed by the enemy in front of the world,” the group said in a statement, adding that the “occupying Israel” will pay the price of his demise.

The Israel Prison Service (IPS) said Adnan was found unconscious and was taken to hospital but attempts to resuscitate him failed.

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and IPS head Katy Perry held a situation assessment during which they decided to increase security in prisons to bar Palestinian detainees from leaving their prison cells and to prevent disturbances, Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported.

According to Palestinian figures, there are 4,900 Palestinians held by Israel, including over 1,016 detainees held under Israel’s administrative detention policy.

The controversial policy allows Israeli authorities to detain anyone for six months without charge or trial, which can be extended indefinitely.

Adnan was repeatedly detained by Israeli forces and had staged multiple hunger strikes to protest his detention.

The 44-year-old, from the town of Arraba, west of Jenin, started his hunger strike on Feb. 5 to protest his detention by the Israeli authorities.

According to the Palestinian Prisoner Society NGO, an Israeli military court last month rejected a request by Adnan’s lawyer to release him on bail while he was on the 78th day of his hunger strike.

In 2012, Adnan staged a 66-day hunger strike in protest of his detention, forcing the Israeli authorities to release him. He staged similar hunger strikes in 2015 and 2018.

*Writing by Burak Dag and Ahmed Asmar