Palestinian prisoner reportedly begins another hunger strike
Alleged Hamas activist Mohammed al-Qiq previously refrained from eating for 94 days to protest being held without charge
A Palestinian man who previously carried out a 94 day hunger strike in protest of being imprisoned without charge began a new hunger strike on Monday in objection to his latest imprisonment, the Palestinian Maan News Agency reported Monday.
Mohammed al-Qiq, 34, was released from prison last May, after he released a deal with Israeli authorities in February 2016 to end his over three month hunger strike in exchange for being released from prison.
Relatives of Qiq said on Monday that he will begin a new hunger strike to protest against again being held without charge under administrative detention, following his arrest on January 16 after he attended a protest in the West Bank city of Bethlehem, according to Maan.
Israel’s Shin Bet domestic security service said in January that Qiq was detained along with 12 other men, including a member of the Palestinian parliament, as part of a network of Hamas operatives.
The Shin Bet said the men were accused of a series of “economic and social” activities, including organising demonstrations and financially supporting families of prisoners, to “strengthen Hamas influence in the West Bank while attempting to topple the (Palestinian) Authority.”
Qiq began his first hunger strike in November 2015 to protest against being held under Israel’s system of administrative detention, which allows Israel to hold prisoners suspected of terrorist activity without any charge or a trial for renewable six-month periods.
The Shin Bet said at the time he was detained for “terror activity” on behalf of the Islamist group Hamas, which controls Gaza.
Qiq denied the allegation, saying he worked for the Saudi television channel Al-Majd.
His case was widely covered, and the United Nations expressed concern about his condition.
In addition to Qiq, Palestinian prisoners Muhammad Balboul, Mahmoud Balboul and Malik al-Qadi also carried out months long protests last year over being held in administrative detention without charge or trial.
Like Qiq, the three agreed to end their hunger strikes in exchange for being released by Israeli authorities.