Palestinian detainee in Israeli jails ends 111 days of hunger strike after verbal promise of release

Palestinian administrative detainee in Israeli jails Khalil Awawdeh ended his 111-day-long hunger strike on Tuesday, after a verbal promise by Israeli authorities to release him without setting up a clear release date, said the Palestinian High Commission for Prisoners' Affairs.

Khalil Awawdeh, the 40-year-old father of four daughters, had been arrested five times in the past, three of which under the "administrative detention" system without charges or foreseeable release.

Israeli forces arrested him again in September and placed him under administrative detention, after which he initiated an individual hunger strike to demand his release.

BREAKING: Palestinian detainee Khalil Awawdeh has suspended his open-ended hunger strike, which continued for 111 days, after promises by Israeli occupation authorities to end his administrative detention without a charge or trial. pic.twitter.com/JvK671C65V

— PALESTINE SUNBIRD 🇵🇸 (@SBPal_Eng) June 21, 2022

"We received news from Khalil’s lawyer that he had ended his hunger strike, but without any details on the terms reached with Israeli authorities," Dalal, Awawdeh’s wife told The New Arab.

"The lawyer visited Khalil on Tuesday and told us that his health condition is catastrophic," said Dalal Awawdeh. "His hunger strike might be over, but his and our suffering is not." 

"Khalil's health is in a very bad condition, and his life is at risk," Ameen Shouman, head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Affairs Commission, told The New Arab.

"Israeli authorities gave a verbal promise to release Khalil Awawdeh without precising the date," Shouman added. "This has been a very hard battle for Khalil, and his life is still at risk."

Another Palestinian administrative detainee, 27-year-old Raed Rayan, continues his own hunger strike protesting his detention without charges for the 76th day.

This is Dalal al-‘Awawdeh (31) from the village of Idhna. She is pictured with her four daughter, who are wearing T-shirts printed with the portrait of their father, Khalil. He has been in administrative detention – an indefinite incarceration without trial – for over 6 months. > pic.twitter.com/fUsZRg3rx7

— B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم (@btselem) June 20, 2022

Palestinian prisoner and leader Zakariyah Zubeidi is also on hunger strike for the 17th day in support of Rayan and Awawdeh.

Some 600 Palestinians are held in Israeli jails without charges. Since January, they have been boycotting Israeli court hearings, demanding the end of the Israeli administrative detention policy.