Israel has released a Palestinian prisoner who staged a 56-day hunger strike that brought him near death in a protest against the controversial procedure that allows detainees to be held indefinitely without charge.Khader Adnan was greeted to a hero’s welcome in his village near Jenin, in the northern West Bank, that included fireworks, songs and flags for Islamic Jihad, the militant movement to which Israel says he belongs. Residents wore shirts with Adnan’s picture.The bespectacled 37-year-old, thin and with a long beard, was released before dawn on Sunday in an apparent effort to limit attention to the move, which was initially expected at midday.A spokeswoman for the Israeli prison authority confirmed the release but provided no other details.It was the tenth time that the father of six, who worked as a baker, had been placed in detention without charge. Adnan had spent a total of around six years in jail. He has previously been on longer hunger strikes and refused food for 66 days back in 2013. Both Israel and Palestinian leaders had feared the threat of Adnan dying could hurt a shaky Gaza truce or lead to an upsurge in violence. Adnan is a well-known figure in the Palestinian community and a leading figure in the Islamic Jihad political party but had denied that he had ever been involved in violence.Khader Adnan was greeted as a hero on his release amidst fireworks and cries of joy. In a stunningly expressive photograph Khader Adnan is portrayed kissing his father’s hand. And the old man is near tears on seeing his 37-year old son emerge as a thin skeleton from the prison on the verge of collapse. He had been enduring the prison hardships for six months. The Palestinian government had sent warnings that in case of his death the Israel government would be held responsible. The International Committee of the Red Cross had also appealed for his release. His preventive detention had resulted from the kidnapping and murder of three Israelis, which prompted the arrests of hundreds of Palestinians in the occupied West Bank. The killings were part of the rise in violence as a result of the 2014 Gaza War. The Israeli government tried to have a bill passed to force-feed prisoners on hunger strike. This move received much criticism within and outside Israel. The suffering of innocents is always the sad outcome of long harboured prejudices. Some critics are still hopeful that the Palestinian people would see the happy light of day and be able to breathe the air of freedom. The world holds this administrative detention policy criminal and hopes better sense will prevail in the government of Israel.
pk.shafaqna.com
