- Title: Palestinians fear for the life of 79-day hunger striker jailed by Israel
- Date: 13th October 2020
- Summary: ISLAMIC JIHAD LEADER KHADER HABIB TALKING TO MEDIA (SOUNDBITE) (Arabic) ISLAMIC JIHAD LEADER KHADER HABIB, SAYING: "We warn the Zionist enemy from being stubborn and discriminative and not releasing Maher Al-Akhras, who is unfairly and unjustifiably detained, without any charges. Therefore we demand his release so he will not get harmed, god forbid, and if he will be harmed, the Zionist enemy will be held responsible, and there will be dangerous ramifications in the region. And the Islamic Jihad party has threatened, and if the party threatens, it will deliver." PROTESTERS STANDING OUTSIDE RED CROSS OFFICE IN GAZA EXTERIOR OF RED CROSS OFFICE IN GAZA
- Embargoed: 27th October 2020 11:43
- Keywords: Islamic Jihad Israel Palestinians hospital hunger strike prisoner
- Location: REHOVOT, ISRAEL / GAZA CITY, GAZA / RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
- City: REHOVOT, ISRAEL / GAZA CITY, GAZA / RAMALLAH, WEST BANK
- Country: Palestinian Territories
- Topics: Conflicts/War/Peace,Middle East
- Reuters ID: LVA007CZYOJT3
- Aspect Ratio: 16:9
- Story Text: Palestinian prisoner Maher Al-Akhras's health conditions have deteriorated in the hospital, while Palestinian and Israeli human rights groups voiced concern on Tuesday October 13, over his condition. Al-Akhras began a hunger strike 79 days ago against his detention without charge by Israel.
Maher Al-Akhras, 49, is now in an Israeli hospital suffering from heart pain and convulsions and has slipped occasionally into a coma, his wife said.
A resident of the city of Jenin in the north of the Israeli-occupied West Bank, Akhras was taken into custody in July under an Israeli "administrative detention" order.
Israel's Shin Bet internal security agency said Akhras was detained after it received information that he was an operative of the Islamic Jihad militant group, an allegation his wife denied.
He was moved three weeks ago to Kaplan hospital in the Israeli city of Rehovot, where he has been drinking water but refusing solid food, according to his family.
At the hospital, Akhras's wife Taghreed told Reuters that he would continue the hunger strike for his immediate release despite a decision on Monday by Israel's Supreme Court not to extend his four-month detention term beyond Nov. 26.
Ahkras's wife said her husband, too weak to leave his bed, was not handcuffed in the hospital, and there were no guards visible near his room.
There are around 5,000 Palestinians in Israeli jails, 350 of them under administrative detention, Palestinian officials said. Israeli officials say detention without trial is sometimes necessary to protect the identities of undercover operatives.
(Production: Ismail Khader, Arafat Barbakh, Saed Hawari, Mustafa Abu Ganeyeh) - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
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