Palestinian prisoner Khalil Awawdeh breaks his six-month fast following release deal

Ramallah (QNN) – Palestinian freedom fighter Khalil Awawdeh ended last night a hunger strike which lasted for 172 days after reaching an agreement with the Israeli occupation authorities to release him in October, his lawyer and the PLO’s Commission for Prisoners Affairs have said.

Awawdeh, 40, launched the hunger strike shortly after his arrest in December 2021 in protest of being held in Israeli prisons without charge or trial, a practice known as “administrative detention”.

Until he is discharged on October 2, Awawdeh will remain in hospital for treatment, his lawyer, Ahlam Haddad, told reporters.

The Prisoners Commission also confirmed Awawdeh would remain in hospital until he “completely recovers”, adding that his condition requires “long-term care”.

Awawdeh is one of several Palestinian detainees who have gone on prolonged hunger strikes over the years in protest against the so-called “administrative detention”.

Administrative detainees are arrested on “secret evidence”, unaware of the accusations against them, and are not allowed to defend themselves in court. They are usually held for renewable six-month periods that often lead to years in detention.

Haddad, Awawdeh’s lawyer, said this week that her client weighs 37 kilograms and is suffering from neurological damage. He took vitamins during two weeks in June when he thought his case was being resolved but has otherwise only had water since the strike began in March, his family says.

In a video circulating on social media, Awawdeh, who appeared bony and kept losing his breath as he spoke from a hospital bed, said he will remain hospitalised until he regains his health and can walk again.

In another video shared by his lawyer, the father of four thanked those who stood by him before ending his hunger strike with a cup of tea.

“Thank you for your support,” he said. “You are a great nation. You are a great nation.”

Israel is currently holding some 4,450 Palestinian prisoners. Approximately 670 Palestinians are currently being held in administrative detention, a number that jumped in March as Israeli occupation forces began near-nightly arrest raids in the occupied West Bank.