Palestinian prisoner Khalil Awawdeh ended a hunger strike lasting more than 170 days on Wednesday after Israel agreed to his release in October.
Awawdeh, 40, launched the hunger strike shortly after his arrest in December 2021 in protest of being held in Israel without charge or trial, a practice known as “administrative detention”.
Until he is discharged on October 2, Awawdeh will remain in hospital for treatment, said his lawyer, Ahlam Haddad.
Haddad said Awawdeh has subsisted only on water for months and warned last week that he could “die at any moment” due to his deteriorating health.
The prisoners’ commission also confirmed Awawdeh would remain in hospital until he “completely recovers”, adding that his condition requires “long-term care”.
Awawdeh is one of several Palestinian detainees who have gone on prolonged hunger strikes over the years in protest against the so-called “administrative detention”.
Administrative detainees are arrested on “secret evidence”, unaware of the accusations against them, and are not allowed to defend themselves in court. They are usually held for renewable six-month periods that often lead to years in detention.
While Israel has claimed the procedure allows authorities to hold “suspects” while continuing to gather evidence, critics and rights groups have said the system is widely abused.