EU calls for release of Palestinian hunger striker Awawdeh

Khalil Awawdeh, 40, is nearing six months of a starvation strike towards his detention by Israel with out trial or cost.

Palestinian administrative prisoner Khalil Awawdeh, who has been on a starvation strike for greater than 160 days, is in a vital situation, displaying indicators of neurological injury [Sinan Abu Mayzer/Reuters]

Ramallah, Occupied West Financial institution – Calls are rising internationally for the discharge of Palestinian prisoner Khalil Awawdeh as he nears six months of a starvation strike towards his continued detention with out cost by Israel.

Photos of a particularly emaciated Awawdeh, shared by his spouse on Sunday, a day after she visited his hospital room, have led to rising requires his launch, together with from the European Union’s (EU) delegation to Palestine.

The delegation mentioned in a assertion launched on Twitter that it was “shocked by the horrible footage of Awawdeh” and mentioned he was “in imminent hazard of dying”.

“Except charged instantly, he needs to be launched!” the assertion added.

Awawdeh, a 40-year-old father of 4 daughters, was arrested by the Israeli military from his residence in Ithna, within the southern Israeli-occupied West Financial institution, in December 2021 and held beneath Israel’s so-called “administrative detention”.

He's one in all roughly 670 Palestinians in Israeli prisons being held beneath the Israeli coverage, which permits for indefinite detention with out trial or cost primarily based on “secret proof” that neither the detainees nor their legal professionals are allowed to see.

Israel initially arrested Awawdeh on suspicion of being a Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) “operative”, an allegation his lawyer has denied, and mentioned administrative detention is important for safety causes. Human rights teams say it's a type of collective punishment and a violation of worldwide regulation.

The PIJ armed resistance group had demanded that Awawdeh be launched as a part of the situations of an August 7 ceasefire settlement that ended Israel’s three-day bombardment of Gaza, by which 49 Palestinians had been killed, together with 17 kids.

Nonetheless, Israeli authorities have thus far refused to launch him, and on August 21 the Israeli Supreme Court docket rejected an enchantment filed by his lawyer for his instant launch.

Awawdeh’s situation is vital and he now weighs solely 38kg (84 kilos).

EU ‘complicit’

Responding to the EU’s assertion on Awawdeh’s situation, a number of activists and human rights staff have referred to as for the physique to hold out actions fairly than simply phrases.

British-Palestinian educational and rights campaigner Kamel Hawwash responded on Twitter saying: “Presumably that's so far as the #EU will go on this matter, ‘shocked’. This #Palestinian man is dying as a result of #ApartheidIsrael … can do no matter it desires to the indigenous #Palestinians and can face no penalties.”

“The EU is so complicit in its crimes as a result of it offers it cowl,” Hawwash added.

Ending Israel's merciless observe of administrative detention – holding lots of of Palestinians illegally with out cost or trial – will take greater than tweets and statements. Are these shared values? There have to be penalties @EUpalestinians. https://t.co/jdmOSRU9Pc

— Rohan Talbot (@rohantalbot) August 28, 2022

Physicians for Human Rights Israel (PHRI) mentioned a member of its group had visited Awawdeh and warned of “a extreme deterioration in his situation”.

“He's vulnerable to dying and irreversible injury,” PHRI mentioned on Sunday.

“The doctor’s go to follows the Excessive Court docket’s resolution final week to disregard the hazard inherent in Awawdeh’s continued administrative detention and starvation strike. He have to be instantly launched to avoid wasting his life and well being,” the group added.

The consultant workplace of Eire within the occupied Palestinian territories issued its personal calls after the discharge of Awawdeh’s pictures.

“[Ireland] helps calls to fully finish the observe of administrative detention,” the workplace mentioned on Sunday.

Awawdeh is the most recent of a variety of Palestinian prisoners in administrative detention to have launched into particular person starvation strikes to safe their freedom since late final yr.

Starvation strikes have been utilized by prisoners world wide as a technique of non-violent resistance. Palestinian prisoners use starvation strikes to attract worldwide consideration to their plight, which they hope will put strain on their jailers and spur a coverage change.