Two Palestinian prisoners remain in critical condition in Israeli prisons as they continue their open-ended hunger strikes in protest over their conditions and administrative detention, said the Detainees Affairs Commission.
Raed Rayan and Khalil Awawdeh have been on hunger strike for 102 days and 16 days respectively, and are reportedly said to be suffering from serious health complications, according to the official Palestinian news agency WAFA.
27-year-old Rayan, from the Beit Duqqu village, northwest Jerusalem, has been held at Israel’s infamous Ramla Prison clinic, where he has been detained since November 2021. He was given an administrative detention order for a period of six months upon his arrest, and his detention was subsequently renewed in April for an additional six months, prompting him to begin his hunger strike.
Palestinian prisoner Shadi Halasa has started an open-ended hunger strike in support of administrative detainee Raed Rayan, who has been on hunger strike for almost 100 days behind Israeli prison bars. pic.twitter.com/B5HxMCcC3Q
— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) July 14, 2022
Meanwhile, 40-year-old Awawdeh from Ida, in the district of Hebron (Al-Khalil), has been on a hunger strike for 16 days. Last month, he broke a 111-day hunger strike following Israeli authorities’ verbal promise to release him from his administrative detention.
However, the father of four is reportedly back on hunger strike as Israeli authorities reportedly reversed their decision, according to Wafa. He remains in Shamir Hospital, formerly known as Assaf Harofeh, southeast of Tel Aviv.
Despite the deterioration of his health, Palestinian detainee Raed Rayan is on hunger strike for 98 days in protest of his administrative detention without charge or trial behind Israeli bars.#FreeRaed pic.twitter.com/xnK5XUuJbZ
— PALESTINE ONLINE 🇵🇸 (@OnlinePalEng) July 13, 2022
Awawdeh was previously held in Ramleh Prison before his condition rapidly deteriorated last month, leading to rapid weight loss, severe headaches and joint pain.
He has been arrested five times in the past, three of which were under the administrative detention system, which keeps the detainee held without charge or imminent release.
Israel continues to implement its administrative detention policy, which allows for the detention of Palestinians without charge or trial for periods up to six months and can be renewed indefinitely.
After 136 days of hunger strike, unjustly jailed Palestinian father-of-4 Khalil Awawdeh faces brain damage #FreeKhalil #معركة_الامعاء_الخاوية pic.twitter.com/APWgIoxmqd
— Sarah Wilkinson (@swilkinsonbc) July 16, 2022
Israelis often detain Palestinians based on “undisclosed evidence” which even a detainee’s lawyer can be prohibited from viewing.
Israeli is currently holding an estimated 680 Palestinians in administrative detention, considered illegal under international law and has drawn strong condemnation from rights groups, such as Amnesty International, who describe the detention policy as a “cruel, unjust practice which helps maintain Israel’s system of apartheid against Palestinians”.
(The New Arab, PC, Social Media)
