RAMALLAH (West Bank):Israel on Sunday released an Islamic Jihad leader, Khader Adnan, from jail following a deal last month in which he agreed to end a 56-day hunger strike, Islamic Jihad sources in the West Bank said.
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In June, Adnan, 37, ended a 55-day hunger strike after reaching an agreement with the Israeli authorities for his release.
Adnan has become a symbol for the Palestinian resistance.
Following his release, Adnan was taken to a hospital in Jenin for a medical checkup.
“My son is exhausted after his long hunger strike, but now he can take comfort in freedom and victory”, Adnan’s father, Adnan Musa, 75, told Anadolu Agency.
His lawyer Jawad Boulos told Al Jazeera that Israel had pledged to never detain Adnan again under the guidelines of administrative detention, which can imprison Palestinians indefinitely for renewable six-month intervals.
This time, he refused to swallow anything except water.
Over 600 Palestinian detainees are in imminent risk of death because the Israeli prison authorities deny them treatment, said Adnan.
The Israeli government in mid-June renewed efforts for legislation that would allow prisoners to be force-fed when their lives are in danger, sparking criticism from health experts and rights groups.
His release came at dawn and had been kept a secret from his family; the Israeli occupation forces were attempting to prevent or silence the mass Palestinian welcome and celebration of Khader Adnan’s release, another strong defeat to the Israeli system of administrative detention.
The Palestinian leadership submitted a report to the global Criminal Court last week that included the treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
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There are more than 500 Palestinian prisoners held under administrative detention according to the Palestinian center for human rights.
