- Title: Palestinians fear for the life of 79-day hunger striker jailed by Israel
- Date: 13th October 2020
- Summary: RAMALLAH, WEST BANK (OCTOBER 12, 2020) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF PALESTINIANS PROTESTING IN SUPPORT OF AL-AKHRAS
- 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: LVA005CZYOJT3
- 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.
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