Khader Adnan, a member of the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad, has died in an Israeli prison after an 87-day hunger strike.
Adnan had been arrested on February 5 and began his strike shortly after. Israel’s prison service said he had been charged with “involvement in terrorist activities”.
He had gone on hunger strike several times after previous arrests, including a 55-day strike in 2015 to protest his arrest under so-called administrative detention, in which suspects are held indefinitely without charge or trial.
Adnan’s lawyer accused Israel of medical negligence, stating that they had demanded he be moved to a civil hospital for proper follow-up but were met with rejection.
Shortly after Adnan’s death was announced, sirens rang out in Israeli-Gaza border communities, sending residents running for shelter.
The Palestinian Islamic Jihad vowed to continue their fight, while critics fear a new ‘wild west’ mentality is taking hold in the region.
Adnan, 45, was a known Islamic Jihad figure in the West Bank and had been detained by Israel 12 times, spending around eight years in prison, mostly under administrative detention.
This article was updated 3 months ago
