Jamal Abu Al-Leil suspends hunger strike

Palestinian prisoner Jamal Abu Al-Leil suspended his hunger strike after 25 days yesterday after reaching an agreement that will see him released from Israeli custody after serving the remainder of his current six-month administrative detention sentence.

Abu Al-Leil, a former member of Fatah’s revolutionary council, declared his hunger strike on 16 February along with fellow Qalandiya refugee camp resident Raed Mteir, after they were both placed under administrative detention – Israel’s policy of internment without trial or charges – for a year.

The Palestinian Committee of Prisoners’ Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said that Abu Al-Leil had only consumed water for 25 days, adding that the Israel Prison Service (IPS) had transferred Abu Al-Leil between prisons a number of times in order to pressure him to end his hunger strike.

Mteir ended his hunger strike after going 12 days without food, after reaching an agreement to be released in April without his administrative detention being renewed.

Meanwhile, fellow Palestinian prisoner Mohammad Al-Qeq ended his second hunger strike on Friday after 33 days without food.

Demonstration in Gaza in support of Mohamed Al-Qeq who is being held under administrative detention [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]