Palestinian Allan vows to renew hunger strike if rearrested

Mohammed Allan, a Palestinian whose detention in an Israeli jail was recently suspended, has vowed to renew his hunger strike in protest against Israel’s administrative detention policy if he is rearrested.

Allan made the pledge during a telephone interview with the al-Resalah website on Saturday, just days after ending a hunger strike and emerging from a coma.

“I am now released and if the [Israeli] occupation detains me again, then I will return to the hunger strike until they put an end to this tragedy I am going through as are hundreds of administrative prisoners,” the 31-year-old lawyer said.

He called on Tel Aviv to “immediately” end its policy of detaining individuals indefinitely without trial or access to a lawyer.

Allan is currently hospitalized.

On Saturday, rights group Amnesty International (AI) warned that Allan could be arrested again if his health improves under a decision by the Israeli High Court, which earlier suspended his detention due to his poor health condition.

Allan was released after a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan exposed extensive damage to his brain caused by vitamin deficiency.

The former Palestinian prisoner ended his 65-day long hunger strike on August 20, a day after his detention was suspended.

Demonstrations had been held by Palestinians in support of Allan when he was in detention.

Hunger strikes have become common among Palestinian prisoners, who have been protesting Israel’s practice of administrative detention in recent years.

Rights groups say the practice violates international law.

This comes as Tel Aviv has recently passed a bill allowing the force-feeding of hunger-striking prisoners. The decision seems not to have been implemented as medical authorities have reportedly objected.

Over 7,000 Palestinians are reportedly incarcerated in 17 Israeli prisons and detention centers, many of them without charge or trial.