Israel: Palestinian detainee stops hunger strike

Mural depicting the then Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike Maher Al Akhras, in the central Gaza Strip, October 19, 2020. REUTERS / Mohammed Salem

Text by: RFI Follow

2 min

He had been on hunger strike for over 100 days.

Maher Al Akhras, a Palestinian arrested by Israel, was protesting against his administrative detention, a regime that allows the Israeli authorities to keep a person in detention without being tried.

While his state of health was deemed very critical, an agreement was finally reached with Israel and he announced on Friday the end of his protest movement.

Publicity

Read more

With our correspondent in Jerusalem,

For the Palestinians, Maher Al Akhras had become a symbol of the struggle against a judicial system which they consider arbitrary.

Arrested at the end of July, this farmer is accused of being a member of the Islamic Jihad, an organization considered terrorist by Israel, the United States and the European Union.

Charges that he denies but the administrative regime of his detention, validated by the Israeli Supreme Court, allowed him to be kept in prison without trial or access to the documents in the file against him.

By ceasing to eat, Maher Al Akhras had engaged in a standoff with the Israeli authorities to obtain an end to this regime of administrative detention targeting him.

In recent weeks, the Red Cross had expressed its concern and called for a solution to be found.

A United Nations rapporteur had called for his release and the Palestinian leadership seized the UN secretary general.

This Friday, after 103 days of hunger strike, Maher Al Akhras finally agreed to eat again.

According to his supporters, he obtained assurances from Israel that his administrative detention would not be renewed.

He should therefore be released on November 26, the date until which he will remain hospitalized due to his state of health.

Newsletter

Receive all the international news directly in your mailbox

I subscribe

Follow all the international news by downloading the RFI application

google-play-badge_FR

• Israel

• Palestinian territories