Al-Qeeq starts new hunger strike in Israeli jail

Journalist Muhammad Al-Qeeq, who ended a 94-day hunger strike in Israeli jails in November, started a new open-ended hunger strike after he was handed an administrative detention order for six months by the Israeli intelligence services, QudsPress reported yesterday.

The site reported his wife, journalist Fayha Shalash, saying the Israeli military court of Ofer was due to look into Al-Qeeq’s detention yesterday but during the hearing, the military judge told the family that the intelligence services ordered him to be put under administrative detention for six months.

“Immediately, Mohamed told the court and the military public prosecution that he had started an open-ended hunger strike in response to the decision,” Shalash said.

Al-Qeeq blamed the Israeli occupation authorities and the Israeli court for the consequences of his hunger strike, considering his administrative detention “illegal”.

Shalash said that the Israeli occupation “knows very well that Mohamed Al-Qeeq will never stop his hunger strike before achieving his demand; freedom.”

Al-Qeeq was arrested on 15 January and was turned to remand detention. Investigations against him revealed nothing.

The journalist was first arrested on 21 November 2015 from his house and put under administrative detention for six months. He immediately started an open-ended hunger strike. He ended his strike after 94-days when Israeli occupation forces agreed to release him after the six-month period. He was released on 19 May 2016.