Palestinians on hunger strike vow to continue battle to freedom

RAMALLAH, Palestine (AA) – Four Palestinian prisoners have vowed to continue their hunger strike to protest their indefinite detention without trial by Israel, according to a local NGO.

Among the striking detainees is Khalil Awawdeh, who has been on hunger strike for 165 days, the Palestinian Prisoner Society said in a statement.

As part of an Egyptian-brokered cease-fire that brought a recent Israeli offensive on Gaza to a halt last week, Cairo said it will seek to ensure the release of Awawdeh and Islamic Jihad detainee Bassam Al-Saadi.

Israeli authorities transferred Awawdeh to hospital on Thursday as his health deteriorated.

The NGO said two other detainees have staged a hunger strike nine days ago to protest their administrative detention without charge or trial.

“An Arab-Israeli has also been on hunger strike for the fifth day in a row to protest his detention,” the statement said, adding that the detainee has been hospitalized as his health deteriorated.

For years, Palestinians jailed by Israel have used these protests to demand better living conditions and an end to indefinite detentions.

According to the Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights, administrative detention involves holding a person without trial without having committed an offense, on the grounds that he or she plans to break the law in the future. It has no time limit. The person is detained without legal proceedings. This leaves the detainees helpless – facing unknown allegations with no way to disprove them, not knowing when they will be released, and without being charged, tried or convicted.