The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) expresses its deep concern over the life of Palestinian administrative detainee, al-Ghadanfer Abu ‘Atwan, who has been on a hunger strike in Israeli jails for 63 consecutive days. PCHR holds the Israeli authorities fully responsible for his life as he refuses to drink water. Furthermore, PCHR calls upon the international community to pressurize Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) to immediately release Abu ‘Atwan and other detainees, who have been placed under administrative detention.

According to PCHR’s information, Abu ‘Atwan loses consciousness repeatedly, especially since he decided to take serious steps after 2 months of his hunger strike and refused to drink water, protesting his administrative detention. Despite this, Abu ‘Atwan refuses to conduct necessary medical examinations.

In October 2020, the Israeli Authorities arrested Abu ‘Atwan (28), from Hebron, and placed him under administrative arrest for 6 months before extending the decision. On 05 May 2021, Abu ‘Atwan started an open hunger strike in protest to his administrative detention. The Israeli authorities refused to adhere to his demands, as two hearing sessions were held to appeal the decision on 31 May and 10 June at his lawyer’s request, but both requests were declined, despite the deterioration of his health condition and the doctors’ intervention.

Although the court issued a freeze decision on 24 June 2021 regarding the administrative arrest order, this manovurer does not in any way resolve the order, in reality it is a ploy that leaves Abu-Atwan’s life at the hand of the Israeli security forces. He was transferred to Kaplan Medical Center in Israel under the guard of the hospital security. Despite this, the Israeli occupation authorities continue to ban his family from visiting him, and refuse to transfer him to any Palestinian hospital to complete his treatment there, in spite of the deterioration of his health condition, as medical reports indicate that he may be exposed to paralysis or death.

Two days ago, Abu ‘Atwan directed a message from inside the walls of the hospital, calling the free people of the world and the free Palestinian people to save his life, highlighting the Israeli occupation’s slow death policy against him, emphasizing that he has started a water strike, which means that he has entered the stage of serious danger.

In 2019, Abu ‘Atwan had started a hunger strike in protest at his administrative detention at the time.

The case of Abu ‘Atwan sheds the light on more than 500 Palestinians who are currently placed under administrative detention in Israeli prisons and detention facilities, without practicing their right to defend themselves or knowing the charges directed against them, and their right to defend themselves.

PCHR expresses its grave concern over Abu ‘Atwan’s life, Thus PCHR:

• Holds the Israeli authorities fully accountable for the life of Abu ‘Atwan;
• Calls upon the international community to immediately intervene to put an end to the administrative detention policy and applying it arbitrarily and illegally against Palestinian prisoners; and
• Calls for conjugating local and international efforts to support the Palestinian prisoners and their demands to live freely and in dignity.