Israel releases Hamas leader after 2 years of administrative detention

Israeli yesterday released Hamas leader Jamal Al-Taweel after two years being held under administrative detention.

The 57-year-old, who was elected mayor of Al Bireh in 2006, spent his time in administrative detention in Al Naqab Prison.

His daughter, Bushra, said that her father went on hunger strike against his detention several times and was given pledges that he would be released, but this did not happen.

She said that her father was arrested several times and spent a total of 14 years inside Israeli prisons. He was released in 2017 after spending four years in detention. In 2014 he spent 64 days on hunger strike.

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On 15 April 2018, Israeli occupation forces arrested Al Taweel from his house and placed him to demonstrative detention one week later. Israeli occupation forces raided and searched his house in the Umm Al-Sharayit neighbourhood before taking him into custody, residents said at the time.

He went on hunger strike on 14 July 2019 that continued until Israeli occupation forces promised to end his administrative detention.