Palestinian prisoner ends 94-day hunger strike

A Palestinian journalist held by Israel without trial, Mohammed Al Qiq, agreed on Friday to end his 94-day hunger strike as part of a deal for his release in May.

The Palestinian Detainees’ Committee said Friday that al-Qeeq and Israeli authorities signed an agreement that will ensure he receives medical treatment and is released from Nafha prison on May 21.

Palestinian officials said the 33-year-old father of two, employed by Saudi-owned Al Majd Television, was being hounded for political reasons.

Israel has arrested al-Qeq in the past for his activities with Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza and that is sworn to Israel’s destruction.

Administrative detention is a measure that allows Israeli authorities to detain prisoners without charging them or allowing them to stand a trial based on secret information, which cannot be accessed by either the detainees or lawyers, for periods of six months that can be renewed for unlimited times.

The current tension situation is ongoing since October first 2015, due to repetitive Israeli settler attacks on Al-Aqsa mosque, the third holiest place in Islam, and Israeli restrictions over Palestinian entrance, in addition to the Duma arson attack which killed a baby and his parents on July, 31.

Palestinian factions and officials hailed the deal reached on Friday as “a victory against Israel’s administrative detention policy”.

Earlier this month, Israel’s Supreme Court said Mr al-Qiq was “clearly a Hamas activist involved in militant terrorism” but suspended his detention order.

Israel’s supreme court turned down the demand and made a counter-proposal to move him to Palestinian-run Makassed hospital in Israeli-annexed East Jerusalem. She says the initial investigation indicates it was “most likely” a Palestinian attacker. The rest have been killed in clashes with Israeli troops.

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry, who negotiated the Iran deal, said he was “extremely disturbed” by the compensation offer.

Be proactive – Use the “Flag as Inappropriate” link at the upper right corner of each comment to let us know of abusive posts.