Three Palestinians imprisoned by Israel without trial agreed on Wednesday to end more than two months of hunger strike after dates were set for their release, a Palestinian NGO said.
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Muhammad Balboul, 26, has refused food since July 7, while his 23-year-old brother Mahmoud had been on hunger strike since July 5, and 25-year-old Malik al-Qadi declared his hunger strike on July 16.
All three are now hospitalized and al-Qadi, who fell into a coma 60 days into his strike, was reported to be “fighting death” last week.
“Brothers Mohamed Balboul, 25, and Mahmoud Balboul, 22, will be released from custody on December 8 and will not have their administrative detentions renewed”, Issa Qaraqe, head of the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO)’s committee on detainees, said in a statement.
Qaraqe attributed the success to the efforts of Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian people and their leadership, in addition to national, regional, global human rights organisations and national organisations involved in the ongoing campaign to pressure Israel to release the three prisoners.
The planned release of the detainees was the result of “a great political effort” carried out by Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas, the Palestinian leadership along with local and global human rights groups, he said in a statement.
A hunger striker who ended on Wednesday more than 70 days of fast and was due for release on Thursday will nevertheless remain in hospital until he recovers, a Palestinian prisoners’ advocacy group said on Thursday.
Palestinian detainees have continuously resorted to open-ended hunger strike in an attempt to voice their outrage at the illegal and unfair administrative detention.
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Critics say force-feeding is inhumane and deprives inmates of a basic human right.
