Bethlehem / PNN / Monjed Jadou - 

The Palestinian Prisoners society announced on Tuesday the death of Sheikh Khader Adnan, a leader in the Islamic Jihad movement, who was on a hunger strike for 87 days in protest of his detention by Israeli authorities. 

The Palestinian Prisoners society, the Prisoners Affairs Authority, and the prisoners' institutions stated that the Israeli Prison Service officially informed the prisoners of Adnan's death following his hunger strike. 

The Palestinian Prisoners society also said that the occupation deliberately assassinated Sheikh Khader Adnan. The Ministry of Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs confirmed the news in a statement, saying that Adnan, 44, had been on a hunger strike for almost 86 days in protest of his arbitrary detention.

The Prisoners warned of the martyrdom of Khader Adnan, 44 years old, who was in extremely critical condition and at risk of dying at any moment, especially since the Israeli authorities refused to respond to his demands and neglected him medically by placing him in a cell despite his deteriorating health after 86 days of hunger strike.

The Prisoners society, saying that "the prisoner Adnan has been subjected to very heavy pressures since his arrest and starting his hunger strike, in addition to a series of systematic torture operations that he faced during his detention in the Al-Jalama prison for about a month."

They added that "the Israeli prison administration deliberately procrastinated in transferring the hunger-striking prisoner to a civilian hospital, even after he reached an advanced stage of danger, in order to cause him chronic diseases that are difficult to treat and face later."

Tension in prisons and prisoners declare alert

After the announcement of Adnan's death the Prisoner society announced that a state of high alert prevails in Ofer Prison near the town of Beitunia, west of Ramallah, following a confrontation between a prisoner and a prison guard in the wake of the martyrdom of the prisoner Khader Adnan. 

The Prisoner society added that the prison administration fired tear gas canisters at the prisoners, which resulted in several cases of suffocation among them.

The High Emergency Committee in the Palestinian Prisoners' Movement also announced: We mourn for our heroic prisoners, for our people, our nation, and all free people around the world, the martyr, the prisoner, the leader, the mujahid Khader Adnan, who sacrificed his soul for freedom and liberation from the shackles of humiliation and captivity.

A state of grief for Adnan's family

The family of the prisoner Khader Adnan (44 years old) from the town of Arraba in the south of Jenin (north of the West Bank) had warned of the deterioration of his health, which poses a threat to his life, as he had fainted more than once.

Khader's wife, Randa Adnan, said that "the family senses the great danger to his life due to his continued hunger strike and his condition in the Ramle prison clinic without being transferred to a civilian hospital."

She confirmed that Khader refuses to take supplements or undergo medical examinations, indicating that this is a message to the whole world that he is committed to the hunger strike despite his deteriorating health.

Adnan, a father of nine, was arrested 12 times during his life and went on hunger strike several times in protest against this detention.

Sheikh Adnan has been arrested 12 times and has spent a total of eight years in Israeli prisons, most of them under administrative detention.

He has conducted five previous hunger strikes, four of which were in protest of his administrative detention, and he was able to win his freedom through these repeated confrontations.

Adnan, 44, from the town of Arraba, south of the northern West Bank city of Jenin who was detained on February 5, has died after his long hunger strike during which he refused to take any additives or get any medical attention.

Palestinians declare mourning and strike in the cities of the West Bank and Jerusalem

The Palestinian factions Coordination Committees, the Palestinian Teachers' Union, student councils and unions, and the Lawyers' Syndicate have announced a general strike and mourning in response to the assassination of the prisoner and Islamic Jihad leader Sheikh Khader Adnan, who was on a hunger strike.

The Palestinian Teachers' Union announced a general strike and mourning on Tuesday in memory of the martyr, Sheikh Khader Adnan.

National and Islamic forces in the occupied Jerusalem, Ramallah, Al-Bireh, Nablus, Tulkarm, Jenin, Bethlehem, and Jericho have declared a general strike and mourning on Tuesday, condemning the assassination of Sheikh Khader Adnan and holding the occupation fully responsible for this crime.

The Coordination Committee in Bethlehem also announced a general strike and mourning in the province, in line with other provinces.

The Palestinian Lawyers' Syndicate has suspended work in all courts today and called for participation in national protest events against the silent assassination of Sheikh Khader Adnan.

Several university administrations and student councils have also announced a strike and mourning in various provinces.

Israelis were injured and rockets were fired from Gaza in response to the death of Adan

The Israeli media announced on Tuesday morning that three settlers were injured in a shooting near Tulkarm and the Tulkarm Brigade claimed responsibility for the operation as a rapid response to the assassination of Sheikh Khader Adnan.

The Israeli media said that the shooting resulted in the injury of three settlers and damage to two vehicles, and 15 empty bullets were found at the scene. 

The Tulkarm Brigade said, "Thanks to God, our soldiers were able to carry out a qualitative operation on the road to the settlement of 'Avnei Hefetz', and they opened fire on a car carrying settlers. We confirm that injuries occurred directly."

Israeli media also reported this morning that three Palestinian rockets were launched from the Gaza Strip towards Israeli soldiers after the announcement of the death of the imprisoned Islamic Jihad leader, Sheikh Khader Adnan.

Media sources quoted an Israeli army spokesperson as saying that the launch of three rockets towards the western Negev and Israeli settlements around the Gaza Strip had been detected.

They added that the three rockets fell in an open area without causing any damage or injuries.

The Israeli army spokesperson had activated warning sirens in the Kibbutz Saad area of the Gaza envelope after detecting rocket launches.

The Israeli army radio reported that the military leadership in the southern region is preparing for the possibility of escalation following the death of Khader Adnan.

The Hadeshot Betahoun site announced that the military maneuvers that were supposed to take place today in the Gaza envelope had been canceled.

Prime Minister accuses Israel of deliberately assassinating the prisoner Khader Adnan

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh today accused Israel of deliberately assassinating the prisoner Khader Adnan.

“The Israeli occupation and its prison administration carried out a deliberate assassination against the prisoner Khader Adnan by rejecting his request for his release, neglecting him medically, and keeping him in his cell despite the seriousness of his health condition,” said the Prime Minister in a statement reacting to the death this morning of Adnan who has been on hunger strike for 86 days in protest against his detention without charge.

The Prime Minister offered his deepest condolences to Adnan’s family, the prisoners, and all the Palestinian people for the death of Adnan in prison.

Adnan, 44, from the town of Arraba, south of the northern West Bank city of Jenin who was detained on February 5, has died after his long hunger strike during which he refused to take any additives or get any medical attention.

For its part the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Expatriates today held the Israeli occupation government fully responsible for the death of the prisoner Khader Adnan, who has been on hunger strike for 86 days, and called for an international investigation into his death.

It called in a statement on the international investigation committee to also include the circumstances and details of the death of Adnan while in an Israeli prison in its investigation of Israeli crimes against the Palestinian people, stressing that it will submit the file of this crime to the International Criminal Court.