Palestinian leader ends his hunger strike after 66 days

Khader Adnan

Khader Adnan, local leader of Palestinian Islamic Jihad, agreed Tuesday to stop the hunger strike he observed for the past 66 days to protest his detention in Israel.

"We reached an agreement. He will end his hunger strike and his administrative detention will not be extended, it willend on April 17," said a spokesman for the Israeli Ministry of Justice.

The terms of the agreement were confirmed by the Palestinian minister responsible for issues related to prisoners, Issa Qarage.

Khader Adnan, who is 33 years old, has stopped eating since his placement in administrative detention in mid- December. Challenged by human rights organizations, the Israeli law allows military authorities to indefinitely keep a prisoner behind bars in the absence of legal proceedings. According to the Al Hak, a Palestinian human rights body, some 315 Palestinians are currently held in administrative detention in Israel.

Doctors have recently expressed alarm over the deteriorating health conditions of Khader Adnan. Officials in the West Bank said his 66-day hunger strike is unprecedented in the history of Palestinian prisoners.

Observers warned that his death due to the hunger strike may ignite another Palestinian uprising.