Palestine updates: Israel strikes Gaza following Adnan’s death
Israel carries out strikes in besieged coastal enclave, hours after Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan died in his cell while on hunger strike.
The live blog is now closed, thank you for joining us. Here are the updates for Tuesday, May 2:
The live blog is now closed, thank you for joining us. Here are the updates for Tuesday, May 2:
- The Israeli military says it is striking Gaza as witnesses heard loud explosions in the blockaded coastal enclave.
- The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has said it holds Israel fully responsible for the death of Palestinian detainee Khader Adnan.
- Israel has hit the eastern Gaza strip, followed by 10 Palestinian missiles fired from Gaza towards Israel, according to Al Jazeera’s Maram Humaid.
- Adnan died in Israeli custody early on Tuesday after being on a hunger strike for nearly three months. Adnan’s body has yet to be returned to his family for burial.
- The 45-year-old went on hunger strikes several times after previous arrests, including a 55-day strike in 2015 to protest his detention without charge.
- A medic from the group Physicians for Human Rights Israel visited Adnan in prison this week and warned that he “faces imminent death” and called for him to be “urgently transferred to a hospital”.
Rockets are being fired into Gaza envelope: AJ correspondent
Al Jazeera’s correspondent in Gaza, Hisham Zaqout, and the Israeli army have both confirmed that rockets have been lobbed from the Gaza Strip, as Israeli air raids continued to rock the besieged coastal enclave.
Escalation in the occupied territories is evident: Palestinian analyst
A Palestinian analyst says an escalation of the current situation in the occupied territories is evident and inevitable.
“I believe we are heading toward an escalation. This is evident in the pressures faced by the Israeli government, whether internally or externally. There are pressures from the opposition, and from inside the government, on Israel to respond,” said Hani al-Masri, director of Masarat, the Palestinian Center for Policy Research and Strategic Studies in Ramallah.
Masri made his comments to Al Jazeera right before Israel attacked Gaza late on Tuesday.
“The escalation would not necessarily be big; it could be for a few hours, or for a few days. However, things cannot be controlled if Palestinians were martyred or Israelis killed. The atmosphere is charged [with tension].”
Israel attacks two locations in Gaza City
The Israeli military confirms it is attacking Gaza as witnesses say they heard a loud explosion in the blockaded coastal enclave.
Al Jazeera’s reporter in Gaza, Hisham Zaqout, said, “There have been multiple Israeli airstrikes on several sites for the Palestinian resistance in the southern part of the Gaza strip, as well as in the southwestern part of Gaza City.”
The attacks come after rockets were launched following the death of Khader Adnan, who Israeli and Palestinian human rights groups say was withheld medical attention in an Israeli prison. Adnan had been on hunger strike in protest of his administrative detention.
Israeli army confirms it is attacking Gaza
Israel’s army has confirmed that is currently attacking targets in the besieged coastal enclave.
Israel attacks Gaza: Initial reports
Israeli media is reporting that attacks on Gaza have begun.
According to witnesses who spoke to Reuters, loud explosions were heard in Gaza as Israeli fighter jets hovered overhead.
Israel is the side seeking escalation: Palestinian analyst
A Palestinian analyst says that Israel is seeking an escalation by withholding healthcare from Khader Adnan, leading to his death, and threatening to assassinate political leaders.
“Everyone knows that the resistance cannot escalate; the occupation is the side seeking escalation,” said Hassan Abdu, writer and political analyst from Gaza.
“If the resistance did want escalation, it would not have launched limited-range strikes. If the Israeli occupation carried out a response in the traditional manner—striking open areas empty of any civilians—then it is possible to contain the situation along the border with Gaza.
We are waiting to see what will happen tonight,” he told Al Jazeera.
Video: Arrests, hunger strikes, protests – the life of Khader Adnan
Israeli observers say they believe an attack on Gaza is imminent
Some Israeli observers say they believe that an attack on Gaza is imminent.
“It is clear that there will an Israeli response. Expect intense air strikes in the next few hours,” Jackie Khouri, an Israeli affairs expert, told Al Jazeera from Haifa.
“I believe that the rules of the game will stay the same at this stage: As was the case last month, the intense air strikes on Gaza have not targeted residential areas.”
Palestinian politician calls for unity among factions in light of Adnan’s death
Mustafa Barghouti, general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI), has called on Palestinian factions to “move toward a true national unity”.
“The PA [Palestinian Authority] must proceed in that direction and call for a united national leadership,” especially in light of the heinous death of hunger striker Khader Adnan, he told Al Jazeera.
“Standing still means more victims. Standing still means more losses. The choice that is now necessary is orienting ourselves toward a national, resistance strategy, toward national unity, and toward establishing a united national leadership.”
Objective of administrative detention is to break spirit of Palestinian prisoners: Mustafa Barghouti
Mustafa Barghouti, general secretary of the Palestinian National Initiative (PNI), has called the death of Khader Adnan an “ugly assassination” whose purpose is to “break the spirit of resistance that Palestinian prisoners have”.
Barghouti said that imposing administrative detention as a mainstream measure whereby Palestinians are forcibly arrested without even knowing what they are been accused of is “a complete mockery of international human rights law”.
“The Israelis are sending the following message: If you go on hunger strike, you will die. This is very dangerous, especially since there are 1,006 Palestinians in administrative detention without charge,” he told Al Jazeera.
“Every Palestinian today is at risk of losing his or her life. Every Palestinian runs the risk of being detained without any reason. That is the objective: Oppression, maltreatment, and breaking the spirit of Palestinian prisoners.”
Israel mulls whether to escalate situation: AJ correspondent
Al Jazeera’s Mohammed Jamjoom, reporting from West Jerusalem, says it would be surprising if Israel did not respond in some way to the rocket fire from Gaza.
“Typically if Israel responds to rocket fire they do so in the overnight hours – that would mean either later tonight or very early tomorrow morning.
“If Israel were to respond by let’s say launching air strikes on empty fields in Gaza, that would indicate that they don’t want to escalate the situation.”
But if they do hit Islamic Jihad targets, then that indicates they intend to escalate.
“Right now, we are in a holding pattern,” said Jamjoom.
Security establishment will act against those who harm Israel: Gallant
In a tweet, Israel’s Defence Minister Yoav Gallant said the security establishment will act with “determination and force” against those who harm the country.
סיימתי מספר הערכות מצב מבצעיות בעקבות ירי הרקטות מרצועת עזה. מערכת הביטחון תפעל בנחישות ובעוצמה אל מול כל מי שמנסה לפגוע באזרחי ישראל.
— יואב גלנט – Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) May 2, 2023
Translation: I completed several operational situation assessments following the rocket fire from the Gaza Strip. The security establishment will act with a determination and force against anyone who tries to harm the citizens of Israel.
Visitations canceled in Ofer prison, local media reported
In a statement, the Palestinian Prisoners Club said that the Israeli prison service informed detainees held in Ofer prison that visitations slated for Wednesday have now been cancelled.
The group added that Israeli prisons across the occupied Palestinian territories are in a state of “extreme tension”, Maan news agency reported.
Three injured by rocket from Gaza are Chinese workers
The three people who were injured by a rocket from Gaza that struck a construction site in Sderot are Chinese workers, reports Walid al-Omari, Al Jazeera Arabic’s Palestine bureau chief.
The hospital in the Naqab (Negev) where they are being treated said that the health condition of one person with serious injuries has improved and his situation can now be described as moderate. The other two sustained minor injuries.
Palestinian former hunger strikers recall their ordeal
Last year, Al Jazeera spoke to Miqdad Qawasmi and Hisham Abu Hawwash, who both underwent separate hunger strikes, after they were placed under Israeli administrative detention.
Read about their plight in prison here.
Number of Palestinians in administrative detention has risen to 1,000 over past year
The number of Palestinian administrative detainees has risen to more than 1,000 over the past year, the highest number in two decades.
For administrative detainees, hunger strikes are often the last recourse. Several have staged hunger strikes lasting several months, often becoming dangerously ill. Previous Israeli governments have at times conceded to some of their demands to avoid deaths in custody.
This time, warnings about hunger striker Khader Adnan’s deteriorating health were ignored, said the advocacy group Physicians for Human Rights Israel.
The number of administrative detainees has grown in the past year as Israel has carried out almost nightly arrest raids in the West Bank.
Israel says the controversial tactic helps authorities thwart attacks and hold dangerous militants without divulging incriminating material for security reasons.
Palestinians and rights groups say the system is widely abused and denies due process, with the secret nature of the evidence making it impossible for administrative detainees or their lawyers to mount a defence.
Israeli analysts see that Egypt’s mediation efforts are close to paying off
Israeli analysts see that Egypt’s mediation efforts are close to containing the volatile situation following the death of Khader Adnan in an Israeli prison, reports Walid al-Omari, Al Jazeera Arabic’s Palestine bureau chief.
“No rockets or shells were fired along the border with Gaza in the last two and a half hours,” he said.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is chairing a meeting to assess the security situation. In attendance “are the defence minister, the chief of staff, and the heads of the various security apparatuses. What is notable is the exclusion of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir,” he said.
“What is more noteworthy is that this meeting follows the Israeli army’s announcement to settlers in the Gaza envelope that they are free to resume their lives as normal. This is a sign that things are heading toward a détente.”
Adnan’s hunger strike was ‘non-violent protest’ against occupation: B’Tselem
Israeli rights group B’Tselem has described the hunger strike of Khader Adnan as “a form of non-violent protest against his arrest and the injustices of the occupation”.
“The fact that a person whose life was in danger remained in prison despite repeated requests to transfer him to a hospital reflects the absolute disregard Israel held for his life,” the organisation said.
As part of its apartheid regime and throughout 56 years of occupation, Israel has incarcerated, and continues to incarcerate, hundreds of Palestinians who receive no fair trial, and, in some cases, receive no trial at all. >
— B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم (@btselem) May 2, 2023
Prison cells closed to ‘prevent riots’: Ben-Gvir
Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has said prison officials decided to close cells to “prevent riots” following the death of Khader Adnan, who was on hunger strike in an Israeli prison.
“The directive to the prisoner service is zero tolerance towards hunger strikes and disturbances in security prisons,” he said.
Since joining Israel’s government late last year, Ben-Gvir has pledged to ensure Palestinian inmates are not being treated humanely.
Palestinian prisoners are overseen by Ben-Gvir, who has tightened restrictions on the Palestinian inmates, including shortening their shower time to four minutes and closing prison bakeries.
A timeline of major events in Khader Adnan’s life
Khader Adnan was arrested 12 times and spent about eight years in Israeli prisons, most of it under so-called “administrative detention”, in which Israel holds Palestinians on “secret evidence” for renewable six-month intervals without trial or charges
Here is a timeline of major events in Adnan’s life.
Restrictions issued to Israelis in Gaza environs have been lifted: AJ correspondent
An Israeli military spokesperson said that restrictions and precautions issued earlier this afternoon to Israelis in the Gaza envelope have been lifted, Al Jazeera’s Najwan Simri reports from Ofer Prison, north of Jerusalem.
“This statement may signal the success of Egyptian mediation efforts in compelling Israel to hand over [Khader] Adnan’s body and avoid escalation,” Simri said.
However, “in the past, there were instances of Israel lifting precautionary restrictions and then launching strikes. There is no official statement yet from Israeli authorities with regards to handing over the body,” she added.
According to Israeli media outlets, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu will hold a security session to assess the situation with members of the security apparatus.
International condolences pour in following Khader Adnan’s death
International reactions have poured in following the death of Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan, who had been on an almost three-month hunger strike.
The prominent Palestinian, affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad group, was found unconscious in his cell early on Tuesday morning.
Read more here.
Adnan’s death highlights deteriorating conditions in Israeli prisons: Rights group
The death of Khader Adnan sheds light on the deteriorating conditions of more than 4,900 Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons – including sick ones, a rights group has said.
“Adnan’s death highlights the suffering of administrative detainees who are held without charge or trial in flagrant violation of their right to a fair trial, including their right to receive adequate defense and to know their charges,” said the Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR).
The violation of the detainees’ right to a fair trial comes from the nature of the administrative detention, which is issued upon an administrative order and without any judicial decision in a manner that jeopardises impartial judicial proceedings, including the fair trial proceedings, the Gaza-based group said on Tuesday.
“PCHR holds the Israeli occupation authorities fully responsible for the death of Khader Adnan and for the lives of hundreds of detainees, who may face the same fate, if the policy of deliberate medical negligence continues,” it said.
Who was Khader Adnan?
Khader Adnan, an activist affiliated with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) group, died in an Israeli prison on Tuesday after nearly three months on hunger strike.
Adnan, who was being held pending trial, according to Israeli authorities, had been in and out of prison for more than two decades and had used hunger strikes to protest against his arrests.
Here is what you need to know about the father of nine’s rise to prominence.
Leaving Adnan without healthcare is decision to kill him: Rights group
The Palestinian Centre for Human Rights (PCHR) has said in a statement that it holds Israeli authorities fully responsible for the death of Palestinian detainee Khader Adnan and calls on the international community to conduct an immediate and independent investigation into his death.
The Gaza-based rights group said the probe should include the Israeli authorities’ refusal to release Adnan despite the serious deterioration of his health.
Israel is “well aware of his health condition, especially that he had a history of hunger strikes in protest against his administrative detention and he needs adequate healthcare. However, after almost three months of being on an open hunger strike, he was still being held in cell without healthcare”, the group said.
“Leaving him in these tragic circumstances is immoral, inhumane and illegal, and constitutes a premeditated killing. We call on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court (ICC) to investigate his death immediately and hold the Israeli officials accountable for this crime,” said Raji Sourani, PCHR’s director.
Since the beginning of 2023, Adnan has been the second detainee to have died in Israeli prison. Ahmed Abu Ali, 48, who was imprisoned at Negev prison, died due to a deterioration of his health at Soroka Medical Center on 10 February.