On May 2, 2023, Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan died in an Israeli jail after going on an 86-day hunger strike. The news of his death has sparked outrage among Palestinians and human rights activists around the world.
Adnan, who was arrested by Israeli forces in February 2023 and held without trial or charges under Israel’s controversial administrative detention policy, had refused food in protest of his detention and the unjust treatment of Palestinian prisoners.
Despite numerous calls for his release and concerns over his deteriorating health, Israeli authorities had refused to release Adnan or address his demands, leading to his tragic death on May 2.
According to Adnan’s family and a lawyer from the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society, he started his hunger strike to protest his detention and the inhumane conditions in Israeli prisons. Despite his deteriorating health, Adnan was repeatedly denied adequate medical treatment and was subjected to solitary confinement and other forms of abuse.
Adnan’s condition worsened in recent days, and he was transferred to the ICU at a hospital in Israel. He died shortly thereafter, leaving behind a wife and six children.
Adnan’s death has renewed calls for an end to Israel’s administrative detention policy and the mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners. Human rights groups have called on the international community to pressure Israel to respect the rights of Palestinian prisoners and to hold the country accountable for its violations of international law.
Adnan’s case is not unique, and there are currently more than 4,500 Palestinian political prisoners being held in Israeli jails, many of whom have been subjected to torture, violence, and other forms of abuse. Human rights organizations have condemned Israel’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners and called for an end to the occupation and the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The death of Khader Adnan has once again tragically highlighted the ongoing conflict and human rights abuses in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. As the world mourns his loss, it is clear that there is still much work to be done in the fight for justice and dignity for all Palestinians.
