Palestinian prisoner Khalil Awawdeh ended a hunger strike lasting more than 170 days on Wednesday after Israeli occupation authorities agreed to his release in October, his lawyer and the PLO’s commission for prisoners affairs have said.
Awawdeh, 40, launched the hunger strike shortly after his arrest in December 2021 in protest of being held in without charge or trial, a practice known as administrative detention.
Until he is discharged on October 2, Awawdeh will remain in hospital for treatment, his lawyer, Ahlam Haddad, told the Reuters news agency.
Haddad said Awawdeh has subsisted only on water for months and warned last week that he could “die at any moment” due to his deteriorating health.
The prisoners’ commission also confirmed Awawdeh would remain in hospital until he completely recovers, adding that his condition requires long-term care.
Awawdeh is one of several Palestinian detainees who have gone on prolonged hunger strikes over the years in protest against the administrative detention.
Administrative detainees are arrested on “secret evidence”, unaware of the accusations against them, and are not allowed to defend themselves in court. They are usually held for renewable six-month periods that often lead to years in detention.
Source: Agencies
