Palestinian prisoner ends 94-day hunger strike after deal is struck
A Palestinian prisoner has ended 94 days of his hunger strike after reaching a deal with Israeli authorities that says he will be released in three months’ time, his family said.
Mohammed al-Qeq, 33, began his strike on November 25 to win release from administrative detention, a practice that can keep some prisoners in custody without charges for an indefinite time. Israel says the tactic is an important security tool necessary to stop militant attacks, especially at a time of increased Palestinian violence.
Israel said Qeq – who has worked as a journalist for a Saudi media outlet and who also appeared as an analyst on channels connected to Hamas – has long been involved in militant activities linked to the violent Palestinian Islamic group. He has been under observation at an Israeli hospital and refused all treatment unless he is released.
Celebrations erupted in his home village of Dura, near Hebron in the West Bank, after his imminent release was announced. A dozen women chanted songs in Arabic praising Qeq and Palestinian militant groups.
Some family members set off a small crate of firecrackers into the air. Qeq’s wife addressed reporters from underneath a makeshift tent decorated with posters of Qeq and Palestinian flags.
Both his wife and Kadoura Fares, the head of the Palestinian prisoners club, said Qeq had been fasting for 94 days.
“I feel very happy that finally we’ll end this hunger strike with a very big victory for us and for him,” his wife Fayha said, flanked by her son and daughter.
She said he ended his strike on Friday and will be released on May 21.
“He forced the Israeli forces to take this step and put an end for his administrative detention,” she said. “It was terrifying moments … these three months, and I think that this victory will be, Inshallah (God willing), a new beginning for our life.”
The Palestinian prisoners club said the deal stipulates that Qeq will continue to be treated at the Israeli hospital until his release.
Israel’s military said “following the end of Mohammed Qeq’s hunger strike, he will continue to remain in custody until May 21. On that date the situation will be examined to determine whether there is new information or security circumstances which require extending detention”.
The Palestinian government in the West Bank welcomed the deal.
Senior Palestinian official Saeb Erekat congratulated Qeq for his “victory over the warden, through his legendary steadfastness”. He said Israel “had bowed to the demands of Qeq”.
Israel has arrested Qeq in the past for his activities with Hamas, the Islamic militant group that rules Gaza and that is sworn to Israel’s destruction.
Palestinian prisoners have used hunger strikes before to draw attention to their detention without trial or charges. Fearing that a fasting detainee’s death could spark more violence, Israel has at times acceded to hunger strikers’ demands.
Medics for Human Rights-Israel, an advocacy group, said this week that Qeq has been on a hunger strike longer than any other Palestinian detainee or any of the participants in 1981 protest strikes by IRA prisoners held by Britain in Northern Ireland.
Qeq’s fate was raised in recent top-level meetings, including talks on Sunday between Palestinian president Mahmoud Abbas and US secretary of state John Kerry.
Thank you for helping to make Jewish News the leading source of news and opinion for the UK Jewish community. Today we're asking for your invaluable help to continue putting our community first in everything we do.
For as little as £5 a month you can help sustain the vital work we do in celebrating and standing up for Jewish life in Britain.
Jewish News holds our community together and keeps us connected. Like a synagogue, it’s where people turn to feel part of something bigger. It also proudly shows the rest of Britain the vibrancy and rich culture of modern Jewish life.
You can make a quick and easy one-off or monthly contribution of £5, £10, £20 or any other sum you’re comfortable with.
100% of your donation will help us continue celebrating our community, in all its dynamic diversity...
Engaging
Being a community platform means so much more than producing a newspaper and website. One of our proudest roles is media partnering with our invaluable charities to amplify the outstanding work they do to help us all.
Celebrating
There’s no shortage of oys in the world but Jewish News takes every opportunity to celebrate the joys too, through projects like Night of Heroes, 40 Under 40 and other compelling countdowns that make the community kvell with pride.
Pioneering
In the first collaboration between media outlets from different faiths, Jewish News worked with British Muslim TV and Church Times to produce a list of young activists leading the way on interfaith understanding.
Campaigning
Royal Mail issued a stamp honouring Holocaust hero Sir Nicholas Winton after a Jewish News campaign attracted more than 100,000 backers. Jewish Newsalso produces special editions of the paper highlighting pressing issues including mental health and Holocaust remembrance.
Easy access
In an age when news is readily accessible, Jewish News provides high-quality content free online and offline, removing any financial barriers to connecting people.
Voice of our community to wider society
The Jewish News team regularly appears on TV, radio and on the pages of the national press to comment on stories about the Jewish community. Easy access to the paper on the streets of London also means Jewish News provides an invaluable window into the community for the country at large.
We hope you agree all this is worth preserving.
