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Israel Is Said to Be Willing to Release Palestinian on Hunger Strike Israeli Court to Rule on Release of Palestinian Staging Hunger Strike
(about 2 hours later)
RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Israeli authorities have offered to release a Palestinian prisoner who has been on a hunger strike for two months in protest of his incarceration, one of his lawyers said, amid last-minute negotiations before a Supreme Court hearing on Wednesday that was to determine his fate. RAMALLAH, West Bank — The Israeli Supreme Court was to rule on the release of a Palestinian prisoner who has been on a hunger strike for two months in protest of his incarceration, after last-minute negotiations on Wednesday appeared to falter.
The deal calls for the prisoner, Mohammad Allan, to be released in early November, according to officials close to his lawyers and Palestinian news reports. Lawyers for the prisoner, Mohammad Allan, could not obtain his consent on a tentative offer that would have granted him freedom by early November because his mental state had deteriorated and he was no longer capable of making decisions, said Issa Qaraqe, the Palestinian minister for prisoner affairs.
Mr. Qaraqe said that “Allan did not give a response” when he was visited by one of his lawyers, Jamil Khatib, in the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, in southern Israel.
An official close to another lawyer for Mr. Allan provided similar information, and said that the legal team would now press for Mr. Allan’s immediate release on the grounds that his deteriorating condition meant he did not pose a threat to Israel’s security.
The deal had called for Mr. Allan to be released in early November, according to officials close to his lawyers and Palestinian news reports.
Mr. Allan, a 31-year-old lawyer who has not eaten since June 16 to protest his indefinite incarceration without known charges, had presented a particularly challenging case because his fast entered a critical phase just as Israel passed a law last month that allowed the force-feeding of hunger strikers.Mr. Allan, a 31-year-old lawyer who has not eaten since June 16 to protest his indefinite incarceration without known charges, had presented a particularly challenging case because his fast entered a critical phase just as Israel passed a law last month that allowed the force-feeding of hunger strikers.
The proposal, made early Wednesday, would release Mr. Allan when his current six-month period of what is known as administrative detention is set to expire, said an official close to Mr. Allan’s lawyers. The development was also reported by the Israeli and Palestinian news media. The proposal, made early Wednesday, would have released Mr. Allan when his current six-month period of what is known as administrative detention was set to expire, said an official close to Mr. Allan’s lawyers. The development was also reported by the Israeli and Palestinian news media.
“There seems there will be an agreement,” said one of Mr. Allan’s lawyers, Sawsan Zaher, of Adalah, an Arab legal rights group. She could not provide further details. The deal had appeared to present a scaling back by the Israeli authorities, who have been trying to balance a desire to stand firm in response to hunger strikers with concerns that the death of a Palestinian prisoner could provoke widespread outrage among Palestinians.
It appeared that negotiators were waiting to see if Mr. Allan would accept the deal. Another one of the prisoner’s lawyers, Kamal Natour, told Israeli radio that he believed the deal was “realistic.” It was similar to others made to Palestinian hunger strikers in the past, and it was far from the state’s initial negotiating position: Mr. Allan would be released only if he agreed to four years’ exile, according to the prisoner’s lawyers. Mr. Allan had demanded that he be released in late September, in time for the Muslim celebration of Eid al-Adha.
“I think that, under the circumstances, this is a realistic proposal that would be good if he accepts it,” Mr. Natour said. Conservative politicians and Israeli security experts condemned the negotiations and the court hearing, calling it a capitulation to militancy.
The deal appears to present a scaling back by the Israeli authorities, who have been trying to balance a desire to stand firm in response to hunger strikers with concerns that the death of a Palestinian prisoner could provoke widespread outrage among Palestinians. “I think that in light of the fact that at issue is a political protest, if we need to force-feed him, we should force-feed him,” said Yaakov Peri, an Israeli minister and former head of the Shin Bet internal security agency, to the Israeli news media.
The proposal is similar to others made to Palestinian hunger strikers in the past, and it was far from the state’s initial negotiating position: Mr. Allan would be released only if he agreed to four years’ exile, according to the prisoner’s lawyers. Mr. Allan had demanded that he be released in late September, in time for the Muslim celebration of Eid al-Adha. Lior Akerman, a former Shin Bet officer, said that negotiations gave Palestinians the possibility of winning a “prize” for holding a hunger strike.
Mr. Allan lost consciousness on Friday. His collapsing health stoked fears that he could die at any moment, as his lungs had stopped working and he had seizures while under observation at the Barzilai Medical Center in Ashkelon, in southern Israel. He was placed on an artificial respirator and was given salts and minerals intravenously. “The result will be that tomorrow all 300 administrative detainees will hold a hunger strike and be rewarded,” he said.
Mr. Allan lost consciousness on Friday. His collapsing health stoked fears that he could die at any moment, as his lungs had stopped working and he had seizures while under observation at the Barzilai Medical Center. He was placed on an artificial respirator and was given salts and minerals intravenously.
He regained consciousness on Tuesday, and he told his lawyers that he would stop consuming any nutrients — even water — if there was no deal to release him, a situation that would lead to death.He regained consciousness on Tuesday, and he told his lawyers that he would stop consuming any nutrients — even water — if there was no deal to release him, a situation that would lead to death.
The force-feeding law was never applied to Mr. Allan, who, in some ways, became a test for the measure and highlighted the problems associated with using it. Israeli officials could not find a doctor willing to set in motion the law’s application by forcibly undertaking medical tests, and Mr. Allan’s health had deteriorated far too rapidly for force-feeding to be a viable option.The force-feeding law was never applied to Mr. Allan, who, in some ways, became a test for the measure and highlighted the problems associated with using it. Israeli officials could not find a doctor willing to set in motion the law’s application by forcibly undertaking medical tests, and Mr. Allan’s health had deteriorated far too rapidly for force-feeding to be a viable option.
Conservative Israeli ministers had pushed for the law, arguing that it would prevent Israel from acceding to the demands of hunger strikers and prevent an outbreak of Palestinian violence should Mr. Allan die.Conservative Israeli ministers had pushed for the law, arguing that it would prevent Israel from acceding to the demands of hunger strikers and prevent an outbreak of Palestinian violence should Mr. Allan die.
Instead, the ensuing debate has emphasized how Israel has struggled to deal with nonviolent resistance efforts like the mounting cultural, academic and economic boycott movement.Instead, the ensuing debate has emphasized how Israel has struggled to deal with nonviolent resistance efforts like the mounting cultural, academic and economic boycott movement.
Mr. Allan’s fast highlighted Israel’s contentious form of incarceration, called administrative detention, in which detainees are held for six-month renewable periods, sometimes for years, without ever knowing the charges against them. Mr. Allan’s fast highlighted Israel’s contentious form of incarceration, called administrative detention, in which detainees are held for six-month renewable periods, sometimes for years, without ever knowing the charges against them. Although a few Israelis are being held in administrative detention, it is usually applied to Palestinians.
Lawyers for Mr. Allan were to demand later on Wednesday that the Supreme Court order his immediate release from administrative detention, which Israel is using to hold over 300 Palestinians and a few Israelis without charge. Mr. Qaraqe, the Palestinian official, said 24 prisoners in administrative detention had begun hunger strikes on Tuesday to protest their incarceration and to show solidarity with Mr. Allan.
So far, prisoner rights activists said that an additional 100 Palestinian detainees held in administrative detention were intending to begin a hunger strike to demand their freedom, the Palestinian prisoner rights group Addameer said.
In Israel, at least eight Palestinians have been released in recent years after lengthy hunger strikes, Addameer said. The most famous cases involved Khader Adnan, another Islamic Jihad activist, who was freed in June after a 55-day fast, and in 2012 after he went 66 days without eating.In Israel, at least eight Palestinians have been released in recent years after lengthy hunger strikes, Addameer said. The most famous cases involved Khader Adnan, another Islamic Jihad activist, who was freed in June after a 55-day fast, and in 2012 after he went 66 days without eating.