Israel's High Court of Justice rejected an appeal on Sunday to release a Palestinian from administrative detention, who has been hunger striking for nearly six months at the expense of his rapidly-deteriorating health.
Khalil Awawdeh is currently hospitalized in serious condition with no restrictions after a military court temporarily suspended his detention on Friday. However, the court noted he would be rearrested once his condition was stable enough for him to return to jail.
Awawdeh has not been charged with a crime. However, authorities said the 40-year-old father of four is a member of a terrorist organization, an allegation he denies. His lawyer, Ahlam Haddad, said he has not eaten since March 4, barring a 10-day period where he underwent vitamin injections.
Haddad, in a petition, asked the court to issue an order requiring the state to explain why Awawdeh will not be released.
Israel's High Court judges wrote that the court has no place to intervene in the decision to keep him under arrest, noting there is "solid" justification to keep him under administrative detention.
Awawdeh's lawyers said he would extend his fast until his full release.
The militant Palestinian Islamic Jihad group in the Gaza Strip demanded Awawdeh's release - along with the release of Bassem al-Saadi - as part of the ceasefire agreement with Israel for Operation "Breaking Dawn," without claiming Awawdeh as a member.
The three-day-long conflict saw over 1,000 rockets fired at Israel from the Gaza Strip after Jerusalem targeted Islamic Jihad bases in the enclave.
Shortly after the Egypt-brokered ceasefire was cemented, Public Security Minister Omer Barlev noted that Israel did not agree to release the prisoners.
The story is reprinted with permission from i24NEWS