Khader Adnan, a senior Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) political official in the West Bank, died in Israeli prison Tuesday morning, 86 days after he went on hunger strike.
The Israel Prison Service (IPS) said Adnan, 44, was found unconscious in his prison cell. He had refused to undergo medical examinations or receive treatment during the hunger strike, according to IPS.
Adnan was transferred to the Assaf Harofeh Hospital (Shamir Medical Center) while undergoing cardiopulmonary resuscitation but was later pronounced dead.
A warning to Israel
Palestinian Islamic Jihad officials had warned that Israel would “pay a heavy price” should Adnan die in prison.
On Monday, the Palestinian Prisoners Club said that the top PIJ official was in critical condition and could die any moment.
Protestors shout slogans during a demonstration in support of Palestinian Khader Adnan, a senior member of Islamic Jihad who is jailed in Israel, on June 5, 2015 (credit: SLIMAN KHADER/FLASH90)Adnan was arrested last February on charges of membership in a terror organization and incitement.
A resident of the town of Arrabeh near Jenin, Adnan was one of the masterminds of hunger strikes by Palestinian security prisoners held in Israeli jails. He himself had gone on hunger strikes a number of times during his previous incarceration.
Adnan previously spent a total of eight years in Israeli prison on charges related to his activities on behalf of PIJ. He was arrested as part of an Israeli security crackdown on PIJ terrorists and infrastructure in the northern West Bank.
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