Israel rearrests Khader Adnan, former prisoner who won freedom after hunger-strike

Israeli forces in the occupied West Bank have arrested ten Palestinian activists including Khader Adnan and Tareq Qaadan, both former Palestinian prisoners who had won their freedom last year after a series of sucessful hunger strikes.

A statement by the Israeli army early on Monday said ten suspects were arrested overnight, but did not identify any of those detained or the charges. But Israel's notorious Shin Bet security service later identified two of the detainees as Adnan and Qaadan

The Israeli statement said the arrests were of "wanted persons suspected of involvement in terrorist activities, popular terror and violent disturbances against civilians and soldier". 

According to Palestinian media reports, Adnan was arrested in his home town of Arraba, south of Jenin in the West Bank, just months after the Palestinian was released in December after a year in administrative detention. He had been picked up in January and detained briefly as well.

Both Adnan and Qaadan are senior members of the political wing of the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. 

Both men were part of a prolonged hunger strike in Israeli prison last year, while being detained under the administrative detention system that allows the authorities to hold prisoners without charge for up to six months.

Seen as political prisoners with no links to militant activities, Adnan and many of his companions were protesting both bad detention conditions and being held without trial. Their action was successful. Adnan was given a trial then freed in December after a year in administrative detention.