Khader Adnan died tonight in prison after an 86-day hunger strike. For years, Adnan insisted on living freely despite facing oppression and occupation. After being arrested several times under administrative detention, Adnan chose non-violent protest by risking his life and undertaking hunger strikes. When he was arrested for the last time, Adnan again protested his detention.

The hunger strike was Adnan’s last resort to nonviolently protest the oppression he and his people face every day. These strikes were a protest not only against his own administrative detentions but also against its decades-long use as a tool of political oppression against Palestinians.

For weeks, following a severe deterioration in his condition, we tried to convince the Health Ministry, Kaplan Hospital, and the Israel Prison Service (IPS) to keep Adnan hospitalized. The IPS clinic was not equipped to monitor Adnan and could not provide emergency intervention in case of sudden deterioration. After visiting Adnan a few days before his death, PHRI chairperson Dr. Lina Qasem-Hassan published a medical report warning that he faces imminent death and must be urgently transferred to a hospital for observation.

Unfortunately, our efforts to raise these concerns judicially and individually fell on deaf ears. Even the request to allow Adnan’s family to visit him in prison – when it was clear this may be their final meeting – was denied by the IPS. The court continuously delayed its ruling on the request – and has yet to decide on the matter.

Beyond the medical, professional, and ethical failures, Khader Adnan’s story demonstrates Israel’s fear of addressing the main issue against which Adnan protested for so many years – the injustices of the occupation.