A European Union (EU) delegation has called on the Israeli occupation authorities to immediately release Palestinian detainee Khalil Awawdeh, who has been on hunger strike for 170 days.
In a statement, the EU delegation expressed its shock at the “horrible” photos published yesterday, 28 August Sunday, of Awawdeh.
As the delegation said, it was: “Shocked by the horrible pictures of Awawdeh who is hunger striking […] in protest against his detention without charges and is in imminent danger of dying.
“Unless charged immediately, he has to be released”, the delegation added.
The pictures in question, which show Awawdeh’s emancipated state as a result of his hunger strike, were published by the detainee’s wife.
Despite his condition, occupation authorities continue to refuse to release Awawdeh, though its military command has frozen his “administrative detention” and transferred him to hospital, in an apparent bid to absolve itself of any responsibility for Awawdeh’s life.
Khalil Awawdeh is a father of four girls. Israeli occupation forces arrested him on 27 December 2021, after which he was administratively detained.
“Administrative detention” implies detention without charge or trial. Such orders are based on files that neither the detainee nor their lawyers are able to access. Whilst the maximum length is 6 months, they can be renewed an unlimited number of times.
The number of administrative detainees currently held in occupation prisons is approximately 700 of around 4,700 Palestinian prisoners in total.
