A note on the strike dates of Khalil Awawdeh: Some media sites report that this is the 144th day of Khalil Awawdeh’s strike while others report it as the 154th day. By saying 154 days, we are following the lead of Awawdeh’s family and loved ones, who do not recognize and cannot confirm the interruption in his hunger strike when he was told an agreement had been reached for his release on 21 June. Both of these are valid dates and both emphasize the importance of urging his freedom. Notably, his family never confirmed a suspension or end of his hunger strike at that time. Instead, his administrative detention was extended and he officially reported resuming his strike to his lawyer on 2 July.
Khalil Awawdeh is continuing his hunger strike for the 154th day as his health condition continues to deteriorate. Awawdeh, 40, from Idna near al-Khalil, is on hunger strike to end his detention without charge or trial under Israeli “administrative detention.”
He briefly stopped his strike on the 111th day, when he was told an agreement had been reached to secure his release. Instead of releasing him, however, the occupation forces instead extended his detention, and he re-launched his hunger strike. Throughout the strike, he has been completely denied family visits and routinely denied legal visits. He is transferred back and forth repeatedly between the notorious Ramleh prison clinic and Israeli civilian hospitals.
His family members and supporters have highlighted this as a mechanism of further pressure upon him in order to deprive him of health care and family support even as his health deteriorates. Awawdeh is married and the father of four daughters. In an interview with Wattan TV, Awawdeh’s father said that Khalil is unable to open his eyes and has difficulty hearing, and that he has lost 45 kilograms (almost 100 pounds) since launching his strike. His life is at risk on a daily basis, and the frequent transfers only place greater pressure on his body.
Khalil Awawdeh has put his body and life on the line for his freedom and to resist the policy of administrative detention. Currently, around 650 Palestinians are jailed without charge or trial under these indefinitely renewable orders, out of approximately 4,650 Palestinian political prisoners in total. The Palestinian prisoners’ movement has identified ending administrative detention as a principal goal towards the liberation of all Palestinian prisoners.
Activists in occupied Haifa have organized a solidarity tent and stand in support of all Palestinian prisoners, especially Awawdeh. They and their supporters have also issued a call for international actions from 4 through 6 August for Awawdeh’s freedom:
Global call for action.
We call all Palestinian communities and solidarity activists all around the world to join the campaign to free the Palestinian prisoner Khalil Awawdeh and all prisoners. Khalil Awawdeh has been in hungerstrike for 152 days, protesting his imprisonment without any trial, which is called administrative detention.
Hence we initiate a global call for following actions.
1. Set up a solidarity tent in your city to show your support for Khalil Awawdeh and all Palestinian prisoners.
2. Work on getting coverage through the media that you can reach out to.
3. Cover the event on social media.
4. Organise a demonstration or an event in solidarity for the Palestinian prisoners.
5. Organise an event to make street arts that sheds the light on the hunger striking prisoners.
Date: Thursday 4th of August.
Place: In all of historic Palestine and all over the world.
For any support for possible events at the tents please don’t hesitate to get in touch with us.
We are the voices of the prisoners who needs all the support possible in order to free them from the oppression of the Israeli occupation.
Samidoun Palestinian Prisoner Solidarity Network urges all supporters of Palestine to take action to support Khalil Awawdeh and save his life. Awawdeh is confronting the Zionist occupation forces with his body and life on the line. We urge action to free Awawdeh and all Palestinian prisoners struggling for freedom, for themselves and for Palestine and its people, from the river to the sea.
Download these distributable flyers and posters to highlight the case of Khalil Awawdeh and the struggle to free Palestinian prisoners:
