Detained Palestinian ends hunger strike after 113 days following deal with Israel

A Palestinian man held in "administrative detention" without trial by Israel ended his hunger strike on Thursday after 113 days.

Raed Rayan agreed a deal with his jailers that stipulates his present administrative detention cannot be renewed, official Palestinian news agency Wafa reported.

Rayan achieved this through a strong resolve to end his administrative detention even as he faced strong pushback from jail authorities while on hunger strike, said the Palestinian Prisoners Club detainees' rights group.

He began his hunger strike in April after his initial six-month administrative detention order was renewed.

It was previously reported that Rayan, who is from the West Bank village of Beit Duqqu, was in a critical condition when he had been on hunger strike for 102 days.

There were 650 Palestinians held administratively by Israel as of mid-July, according to prisoners' rights group Addameer.

Administrative detainees have neither been charged with a crime nor granted a trial, and they and their lawyers are prevented from seeing the evidence against them.

Administrative detention orders last for typical terms of from three to six months, which can be renewed.

The practice has been criticised by rights organisations, who consider the practice a breach of due process.

"In violation of the restrictions placed by international law, Israel makes routine, extensive use of administrative detention," leading Israeli rights group B'Tselem said in April.

Amnesty International said administrative detention "may be lawful in certain circumstances" in a February report that found Israel was engaged in a system of apartheid against Palestinians.

However, the rights watchdog added, "Israel's systematic use of it against Palestinians indicates that it is used to persecute Palestinians, rather than as an extraordinary and selective security measure".