Israeli court rejects appeal for release of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner Khalil Awawdeh

An Israeli court has rejected the appeal request submitted for the release of Palestinian prisoner Khalil Awawdeh, who has been on an open-ended hunger strike for 156 days.

According to Palestinian WAFA news agency, quoting Awawdeh’s lawyers on Monday, he is on a months-long hunger strike in protest at his administrative detention without charge or trial by the Israeli regime.

Chairman of the Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission Qadri Abu Baker said the Israeli regime and the prison officials are fully responsible for the life of Awawdeh, who suffers from severe health conditions following days of hunger strike.

The commission’s spokesman, Hasan Abed Rabbo, told WAFA news agency that the health condition of Awawdeh is getting worse day by day.

He added that the Palestinian prisoner has lost more than half of his weight and suffers from weakness, acute joint pain, headaches, severe dizziness, and blurred vision. He even could not recognize his wife who visited him at hospital.

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According to Palestinian officials, Awawdeh now requires a wheelchair to help him move.

On Sunday, the commission’s spokesman said Awawdeh has reached a critical stage after his long hunger strike and can face irreversible health consequences any moment.

The Palestinian Prisoners Club, which represents former and current prisoners, confirmed that Awawdeh’s condition had worsened.

“He is in a real life-threatening situation,” said Qadura Fares, the head of the organization, adding, “He could die at any moment.”

Awawdeh, from the West Bank city of al-Khaili, was arrested on December 27, 2021. He went on hunger strike for 111 days before suspending it following promises. After the promises turned out to be false, he resumed the strike, demanding his freedom. Israel issued an order to renew his administrative detention for a period of four months from June 26 to October 25 despite his highly critical health condition.

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Local media reported on Thursday that Awawdeh was transferred to an Israeli medical center in Tel Aviv.

Thousands of Palestinians are held in Israeli jails. Human rights organizations say Israel violates all the rights and freedoms granted to prisoners by the Geneva Convention. They say administrative detention violates the right to due process since the evidence is withheld from prisoners while they are held for lengthy periods without being charged, tried, or convicted.

Palestinian detainees have continuously resorted to open-ended hunger strikes in an attempt to express outrage at the detentions. Israeli jail authorities keep Palestinian prisoners under deplorable conditions lacking proper hygienic standards. Palestinian inmates have also been subject to systematic torture, harassment, and repression.

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