Palestinians held under illegal and arbitrary administrative detention across Israeli jails carried out a one-day hunger strike on October 4, in solidarity with fellow detainee Kayed al-Fasfous. 34-year-old Fasfous entered his 63rd day on hunger strike on Wednesday in protest of his continued detention by the Israeli occupation, amid growing concerns over his physical and mental health.
In a statement on October 3, the National Committee for the Prisoners’ Movement stated, “After our bitter experience in the assassination of the heroic martyr, Khader Adnan… the prisoners’ movement of all kinds and in all prisons will not stand idly by and will not allow the repetition of what happened with the martyr Khader Adnan in any way.”
44-year-old Adnan died in May after being on hunger strike for 87 days against his unjust detention. 237 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons since 1967.
Fasfous has spent over seven years of his life in Israeli prisons, including under administrative detention. After being arrested by occupation forces in October 2020, Fasfous launched a hunger strike in July, 2021. 131 days later, he finally secured his freedom.
However, Fasfous was most recently re-arrested by occupation forces in May 2023. On August 3, he began an open-ended hunger strike to demand his release. Israel routinely deploys the policy of administrative detention to almost exclusively target Palestinians, imprisoning them indefinitely without charge or trial. Arrests are made on the basis of “secret evidence” that is not presented to the detainee or their legal representation on grounds of “security concerns.”
As Fasfous continues his protest, Palestinian prisoner advocacy organization Addameer has warned that he is facing an “imminent risk of life at any moment.” In an urgent appeal submitted to the UN Special Procedures on October 3, the organization noted that Fasfous had been shifted to the Al Ramleh Israeli prison clinic.
According to a visit by his lawyer on October 2, Fasfous was facing continuous suffocation and difficulty in breathing as well severe joint and back pain. In the past two months alone, he has lost more than 30 kilograms of weight, and is unable to perform basic tasks including bathing. Fasfous has refused medication examination and supplements as part of his protest.
Meanwhile, on October 2, the Israeli High Court in occupied Jerusalem referred a petition filed by Fasfous’ lawyer to the Military Court of Appeals. Addameer has stated that this is a delaying tactic, given that the appeals court had already previously rejected an appeal for Fasfous’ release.
Wednesday’s collective hunger strike by Palestinians in Israeli prisons came a week after Palestinians in the Al-Naqab prison refused meals in solidarity with Fasfous.
According to the organization’s own documentation, the Israeli occupation has issued 2,646 administrative detention orders in 2023 alone. At present, a record 1,319 Palestinians have been imprisoned under the policy, including 21 children.
