Saudi Press

Saudi Arabia and the world
Tuesday, Jun 24, 2025

Palestinian hunger striker moved to hospital as health worsens

Palestinian hunger striker moved to hospital as health worsens

Khalil Awawdeh has refused food for more than 160 days to draw attention to his detention by Israel without charge or trial.

A Palestinian prisoner on a protracted hunger strike has been moved from an Israeli jail to a hospital because of his worsening health condition, his wife said.

Khalil Awawdeh has refused food for more than 160 days in a bid to draw attention to his detention by Israeli forces without trial or charge.

Dalal Awawdeh, Khalil’s wife, said his condition had deteriorated, prompting Israeli authorities to move him to a hospital on Thursday.

Israeli forces arrested the 40-year-old father of four in December accusing him of being a member of an armed group – an accusation that Awawdeh’s lawyer Ahlam Haddad said his client denies.

Awawdeh now requires a wheelchair and is showing memory loss and speech difficulties, his lawyer said.

The case was thrust into the spotlight during last weekend’s attacks on Gaza by Israeli forces. Palestinian fighters demanded that Awawdeh be released as part of a ceasefire agreement that ended the fighting. The Israeli attacks from Friday to Sunday killed 47 people in Gaza.




The Palestinian Prisoners Club, which represents former and current prisoners, confirmed that Awawdeh’s condition had worsened.

“He is in a real life-threatening situation,” said Qadura Fares, the head of the organisation.

“He could die at any moment.”


Risk of brain damage


Al Jazeera’s Nida Ibrahim, reporting from Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, said Awawdeh had ended his hunger strike once after Israeli authorities said his detention without charge would end. Israel then extended his detention instead, Ibrahim said.

“Let’s not forget that he has been on hunger strike for more than 150 days, but during those days he was promised that his detention without charges is going to end, so he suspended his strike,” Ibrahim said.

“But then the Israeli forces have renewed his detention … leading him to go back to his hunger strike. We’ve been hearing from medical officials here in Palestine saying his health is deteriorating, he could be at risk of brain damage.”

Some analysts also believe that moving Awawdeh to hospital might be a way for Israel to prepare for his “potential release”, Ibrahim said.

The worsening conditions of hunger-striking prisoners have in the past whipped up tensions with the Palestinians, and in some cases prompted Israel to accede to hunger strikers’ demands.




Awawdeh’s case also highlights the plight of hundreds of Palestinians who are being held by Israeli forces under a system that critics say denies them the right to due process.

Israel is currently holding some 4,400 Palestinians, including fighters who have carried out attacks and people arrested at protests or for throwing stones.

About 670 Palestinians are now being held in administrative detention, a number that jumped in March as Israel began near-nightly arrest raids in the West Bank following a spate of deadly attacks against Israelis.

Palestinians and human rights groups say administrative detention is designed to quash opposition and maintain permanent control over millions of Palestinians while denying them their basic rights.

Israel says it follows due process and largely imprisons those who threaten its security, though a small number are held for petty crimes.

Newsletter

Related Articles

Saudi Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Explosions Rock Doha as Iranian Missiles Target Qatar
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Iran Intensifies Crackdown on Alleged Mossad Operatives After Sabotage Claims
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
Fordow: Deeply Buried Iranian Enrichment Site in U.S.–Israel Crosshairs
United States Conducts Precision Strikes on Iran’s Nuclear Sites
US strikes Iran nuclear sites, Trump says
Pakistan to nominate Trump for Nobel Peace Prize.
Israel Confirms Assassination of Quds Force Commander in Tehran
16 Billion Login Credentials Leaked in Unprecedented Cybersecurity Breach
Senate hearing on who was 'really running' Biden White House kicks off
G7 Leaders Fail to Reach Consensus on Key Global Issues
Mass exodus in Tehran as millions try to flee following Trump’s evacuation order
Iranian Military Officers Reportedly Seek Contact with Reza Pahlavi, Signal Intent to Defect
Vietnam Emerges as Luxury Yacht Destination for Ultra‑Rich
China's Iranian Oil Imports Face Disruption Amid Escalating Middle East Tensions
Trump Demands Iran's Unconditional Surrender Amid Escalating Conflict
Israeli Airstrike Targets Iranian State TV in Central Tehran
President Trump is leaving the G7 summit early and has ordered the National Security Council to the Situation Room
Netanyahu Signals Potential Regime Change in Iran
Analysts Warn Iran May Resort to Unconventional Warfare
Iranian Regime Faces Existential Threat Amid Conflict
Energy Infrastructure Becomes War Zone in Middle East
Iran Conducts Ballistic Missile Launches Amid Heightened Tensions with Israel
Iran Signals Openness to Nuclear Negotiations Amid Ongoing Regional Tensions
Shock Within Iran’s Leadership: Khamenei’s Failed Plan to Launch 1,000 Missiles Against Israel
Trump's Anti-War Stance Tested Amid Israel-Iran Conflict
UK Deploys Jets to Middle East Amid Rising Tensions
Exiled Iranian Prince Reza Pahlavi Urges Overthrow of Khamenei Regime
Wreck of $17 Billion San José Galleon Identified Off Colombia After 300 Years
Iran Launches Extensive Missile Attack on Israel Following Israeli Strikes on Nuclear Sites
Israel Issues Ultimatum to Iran Over Potential Retaliation and Nuclear Facilities
Black Box Recovered from Air India Crash Site
Coinbase CEO Warns Bitcoin Could Supplant US Dollar Amid Mounting National Debt
Trump to Iran: Make a Deal — Sign or Die
Operation "Like a Lion": Israel Strikes Iran in Unprecedented Offensive
Israel Launches 'Operation Rising Lion' Targeting Iranian Nuclear and Military Sites
Israeli Forces Intercept Gaza-Bound Aid Vessel Carrying Greta Thunberg
IMF Warns of Severe Global Trade War Impacts on Emerging Markets
Syria to Reconnect to Global Economy After 14 Years of Isolation
Israel Confirms Arming Gaza Clan to Counter Hamas Influence
Global News Roundup: From Ukraine's strategic military strikes and Russia's demands and Tensions Escalate in Ukraine, to serious legal issues faced by Britons in Bali and Trump's media criticism, the latest developments highlight a turbulent landscape
U.S. Reduces Military Presence in Syria
Trump Demands Iran End All Uranium Enrichment in Nuclear Talks
Iran Warns Europe Against Politicizing UN Nuclear Report
×