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By Fayha Shalash
It was on the break of day when, final February, the silence of the night time was pierced by the roar of Israeli army autos that stormed the city of Arraba, south of Jenin, within the northern occupied West Financial institution.
After we say Arraba, Sheikh Khader Adnan instantly involves thoughts. He is likely one of the most outstanding Palestinian nationwide leaders, recognized for his extended starvation strikes in Israeli prisons, and is the son of Arraba.
Certainly, Adnan was the goal. The Israeli troopers stormed his home and arrested him, denying him the farewell to his 9 youngsters, who have been locked in a room by the troopers all through the arrest.
Whereas he was handcuffed, Adnan instantly instructed his spouse, Randa Musa, that, beginning that very second, he can be on a starvation strike. It wasn’t an uncommon response, as this was his typical response to being arbitrarily arrested. This was his sixth arrest.
Randa bid her husband farewell as he was led to the Israeli army automobile. Regardless of realizing the brand new burden she would bear in his absence, she didn’t understand that this could be the final time she would ever see him.
Randa known as her acquaintances and the media to inform them about Adnan’s arrest. She confidently and calmly defined the small print of how the Israeli troopers had raided her home. She described the influence of the troopers’ aggression on her youngsters, the oldest being solely 14 years previous and the youngest one and a half years previous.
The Final Starvation
Randa instructed The Palestine Chronicle that she adopted her husband’s starvation strike second by second. She requested the lawyer to go to him every time the Israeli Jail Administration allowed him to examine on her husband’s well being.
Each time the lawyer got here again, he had a brief message from Khader to his spouse: “Care for your self, and take excellent care of the kids, don’t fear about me… I’m advantageous”.
“He was not advantageous in any respect, he was dying and struggling vastly this time, greater than any time earlier than,” the spouse added with tears in her eyes.
The household thought that, as typical, Adnan can be detained below administrative detention. This unlawful follow was the rationale why Khader underwent starvation strikes a number of instances prior to now, to protest his detention with no cost or trial.
Nonetheless, this time round it was completely different. The Israeli Public Prosecution instructed Adnan’s lawyer that it was making ready an indictment for him, within the hope that he’ll finish his strike. In line with Israeli authorities, the costs have been clear, and Adnan would then face over 5 years in jail.
When Adnan realized of those expenses and the tough sentence, he grew to become much more decided to proceed along with his starvation strike. He instructed the lawyer that he would solely finish the strike if the Israeli prosecution dropped the costs, which have been, in his phrases, fabricated. His household supported him in his determination.
“We have been stunned by the character of the costs. All my husband did was go to the properties of martyrs and prisoners and present solidarity with them by means of peaceable actions in a number of Palestinian cities,” Randa added.
Who Was Khader Adnan?
Adnan graduated in 2001 from Birzeit College with a serious in Financial Arithmetic. He tried to acquire a grasp’s diploma, however he was arrested by Israel and he was prevented from doing so. Because of the Israeli arrests, he couldn’t get hold of a job in his discipline of research, so he was pressured to open a small bakery in his hometown of Arraba.
Adnan deeply cared in regards to the households of the Palestinian martyrs and prisoners. He usually visited their properties, giving them power, and at all times attempting to be supportive. These actions displeased the Israeli army administration. One thing about Adnan’s management and charisma at all times bothered Israel, which is eager on eliminating actual management amongst Palestinians.
All through his life, Khader went by means of six starvation strikes: the primary, in 2004, which lasted 25 days, in protest towards solitary confinement. Then, he went on a starvation strike 4 extra instances to protest the unlawful Israeli follow of administrative detention: in 2012, for 66 days; in 2015, for 56 days; in 2018, for 58 days; and once more in 2021, for 25 days. In all these circumstances, Adnan was in a position to get hold of his freedom.
Nonetheless, Khader’s latest starvation strike, which started after his arrest on February 5, was completely different.
Willful Negligence
Throughout this final strike, Adnan’s well being quickly deteriorated, based on his household, which was denied any visitation.
The lawyer, who visited him after acquiring a allow from Israeli authorities, defined that he was in critical situation.
“His well being deteriorated as a result of his physique was already weakened by the earlier strikes. Nonetheless, the Israeli jail administration should be blamed for deliberate negligence”, Adnan’s spouse mentioned.
“They wished to convey him to a stage of full exhaustion. On one event, he misplaced consciousness inside his cell, which was filled with surveillance cameras. The Israeli guards solely tried to avoid wasting him after thirty minutes”.
Regardless of her concern for her husband, Randa traveled throughout the occupied West Financial institution and took half in varied actions in assist of her husband.
She additionally had to consider her 9 youngsters and the bakery that Adnan ran of their city. She labored tirelessly in an try to assist her husband.
Khader’s Demise
At daybreak on Tuesday, information started circulating about Adnan’s demise following a sudden deterioration of his well being. Palestinians have been in disbelief, some even doubtful. Adnan’s lawyer, nonetheless, quickly confirmed the painful information.
The Israeli Prisons Administration mentioned in a press release that the guards discovered Adnan laying on the bottom in his cell. He was then taken to the hospital the place they tried to resuscitate him, to no avail.
He finally died, writing one other Palestinian chapter of heroism, defiance, and quest for freedom.
“There aren’t any phrases… We now have at all times demanded that he be transferred to a civilian hospital in order that this second doesn’t come,” Randa instructed us.
“Nonetheless, now that this has occurred, we all know that Khader is a martyr, now not a prisoner,” she added.
“Could he relaxation in peace. He has fulfilled considered one of his needs, freedom or martyrdom”.
– Fayha’ Shalash is a Ramallah-based Palestinian journalist. She graduated from Birzeit College in 2008 and he or she has been working as a reporter and broadcaster ever since. Her articles appeared in a number of on-line publications. She contributed this text to The Palestine Chronicle.
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