'Palestinian on hunger strike in Israeli jail may die'

Khader Adnan, believed to be leader of W. Bank Islamic Jihad has been on a hunger strike since the day after his arrest by IDF troops, NGO says.

By BEN HARTMAN
Prison jail generic (photo credit: Courtesy)
Prison jail generic
(photo credit: Courtesy)
A Palestinian hunger striker on administrative detention is in danger of dying, Physicians for Human Rights Israel said on Monday.
According to Physicians for Human Rights Israel, 34-year-old Khader Adnan has been on a hunger strike since the day after his arrest by IDF troops at his home in the village of Arrabe near Jenin on December 17.
While Adnan is believed to be a leader of Islamic Jihad in the West Bank, neither the IDF Spokesman’s Office nor the Israel Prisons Service would confirm his membership in the organization on Monday.
On Sunday, Adnan was taken from the medical detention facility where he is being held in Ramle for treatment at Assaf Harofeh Medical Center in Tzrifin, where he refused to be given water or food.
Physicians for Human Rights Israel said that Adnan has had nothing but water for 45 days, and his life is in danger if his hunger strike continues. They added that he launched the strike to protest his arrest, his treatment by interrogators, and administrative detentions, in which detainees are held without being charged with a crime.
Anat Litvin, director of Physicians for Human Rights’ Prisoners and Detainees Department, said in a statement released on Monday that “the fact that a person does not know when his detention will end nor the nature of the accusations brought against him, makes administrative detention unbearable, and similar to torture. Adnan’s hunger strike is clearly endangering his life, but should be also seen as a legitimate protest of a man trying to keep his dignity in face of gross abuse of his basic rights as a human being.”
The organization also questioned Prisons Service treatment of hunger strikers, saying “PHR Israel emphasize that IPS procedures regarding hunger strikers are unclear and some raise suspicion of violation of medical ethics.”
A Prisons Service spokeswoman rejected the criticism, saying “the IPS strictly supervises the health situation of those on hunger strikes. We have special ethical procedures we use in order to determine how to treat them and the criticism against us does not sound logical.”
The spokeswoman added: “We take great care of this issue, we have no interest whatsoever of having prisoners die in our custody.”