Palestinians rally to demand release of hunger-striking detainee

RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestinians staged several rallies in the occupied West Bank on Monday in support of a hunger-striking detainee in Israeli prison.

Hisham Abu Hawwash has been on hunger strike for 140 days in protest of his arrest without charge or trial under Israel’s policy of administrative detention.

Dozens of Palestinians marched in the city of Ramallah to call for the international community to intervene to free Abu Hawwash from prison.

Two rallies were also staged in the city of Bethlehem and at Birzeit University in Ramallah to show support for the striking detainee.

Meanwhile, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh said his government is closely following up the health conditions of the striking detainee.

Speaking at a cabinet meeting on Monday, Shtayyeh said he sent letters to international institutions to seek their help to secure Abu Hawwash’s release.

Abu Hawwash, from the town of Dura in southern West Bank, was detained by Israeli forces on October 27, 2020 and placed under administrative detention, a policy that allows Israeli authorities to detain anyone for six months without charge or trial, which can be extended indefinitely.

According to prisoner affairs’ organizations, there are around 4,650 Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails, including at least 500 held without charge or trial.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara