Khader Adnan: Freedom activist who died after starving himself for 87 days

In the realm of Palestinian activism, few names resonate as powerfully as Khader Adnan. Born in the village of Arrabeh in the occupied West Bank, Adnan dedicated his life to fighting for the rights and dignity of his people. Protesting against his numerous detention by going without food for a long time became his trademark.

His unwavering commitment to justice led him to embark on a hunger strike in 2023 in protest against his administrative detention by Israeli authorities. After enduring 87 days without sustenance, Adnan gave up the ghost.

This article delves into the life, activism, and tragic outcome of Khader Adnan’s final protest against his administrative detention by Israeli authorities.

Table of Content hide 1Khader Adnan biography 2Khader Adnan career 3Khader Adnan activism 4Khader Adnan family 5Khader Adnan age 6Khader Adnan death

Khader Adnan biography

Khader Adnan was born on March 24, 1978, in the occupied West Bank town of Arrabeh, near Jenin, Palestine. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in mathematics from Birzeit University. He had a bakery in Qabatya, a city to the south of Jenin.

Adnan was a prominent Palestinian activist who dedicated his life to fighting for the rights of his people. Adnan has become a symbol of resistance against Israeli occupation. Known for his unwavering determination and commitment to non-violent resistance, he endured personal hardships and made significant sacrifices to shed light on the Palestinian cause.

ALSO READ: Hiba Abouk: Actress whose husband ‘outsmarted’ her with the help of his mother

From an early age, Adnan witnessed the harsh realities of Israeli occupation, which deeply affected him and shaped his activism. In his youth, he became involved with various community initiatives, working to improve the lives of Palestinians living under occupation.

Adnan’s activism gained momentum during the Second Intifada, a period of intense Palestinian resistance against Israeli military rule. He joined protests, organised demonstrations and engaged in civil disobedience, demanding an end to the occupation and the establishment of a sovereign Palestinian state.

Khader Adnan career

Adnan was a baker by profession and he owned a bakery in the city of Qabatya, south of Jenin. During his time as a student, Adnan developed into a political supporter of the Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine (PIJ). In 1999, Israel detained him and kept him for four months.

He was detained by the Palestinian Authority eight months later for organising a student protest at Bir Zeit University in 1999 against the visiting French Prime Minister, Lionel Jospin. Stones had been hurled by students at Jospin’s vehicle.

The Islamic Jihad Movement in Palestine, commonly known as Islamic Jihad, is a Palestinian militant organisation that emerged in the late 1970s. The group was established to liberateestablishrom Israeli occupation and establish an Islamic state. Islamic Jihad is considered a radical Islamic group and is known for its armed resistance activities against Israel.

The organisation follows an ideology closely aligned with radical Islamism and rejects any negotiations or compromises with Israel. It advocates for the destruction of the state of Israel and the establishment of an independent Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine, including present-day Israel. Unlike some other Palestinian factions, Islamic Jihad does not support a two-state solution.

Khader Adnan activism

In 1999, Adnan was arrested for the first time by Israeli forces. This marked the beginning of his frequent encounters with the Israeli prison system. Eight months after being released, he was detained by the Palestinian National Authority (PNA) for organising a student protest against Lionel Jospin in 2000. Students protested the former French prime minister’s visit to Birzeit by throwing eggs at him to protest his description of Hezbollah’s armed efforts against the Israeli occupation as “terrorism”. He went on his first 10-day hunger strike while being held by the PNA.

After being taken into custody by Israel in December 2002, he was held in administrative detention for a year. Six months after his release, he was arrested again and he spent 28 days on a hunger strike while being held in solitary confinement before the Israel Prison Service moved him to the general prison population.

Adnan gathered a Palestinian militant group to fight against Israel in June 2005, after PIJ members were murdered in a shootout with Israeli soldiers. He also accused the PNA of supporting Israel. Adnan was detained by Israel in August 2005 and held there for 15 months. He went on a 12-day hunger strike in 2005, according to the Palestinian prisoner advocacy group, Addameer, to protest his segregation in Kfar Yona.

However, it was his arrest in 2011 that brought him international recognition. Adnan was detained under Israel’s policy of administrative detention, which allows for indefinite detention without charge or trial. Israel stated that Adnan was detained “for activities that threaten regional security”, even though he was not officially charged with any crimes.

He was arrested on December 17, 2011, by the Israeli armies in his home in Arraba in the dead of the night. In protest against his arbitrary detention, Adnan embarked on a hunger strike, refusing food for 66 days.

Following his detention, Adnan was interrogated for 18 days. According to his attorneys, during this time, Israeli troops made lewd comments about his wife, ridiculed his Muslim faith, beat him, tied him in uncomfortable positions to a chair, tore hair from his beard and rubbed mud on his face. The Israeli government dismissed these accusations. Adnan continued to be mistreated, according to his wife and attorneys who also claimed that he was subjected to repeated strip searches, brutal interrogation and extended intervals of solitary confinement.

ALSO READ: Britt Barbie: Woman who gained fame overnight via viral video on TikTok

On December 30, 2011, Adnan was taken to a hospital, but Israeli medical professionals did not treat him. Physicians for Human Rights – Israel expressed “grave concern” over Adnan’s situation after meeting him in the hospital, as their physicians deemed his health status to be “critical”. When his wife was allowed to visit him after about 50 days of his hunger strike, she reported that he appeared malnourished, filthy, and handcuffed to his hospital bed.

His hunger strike gained global attention and became a symbol of Palestinian resistance. Supporters from around the world joined in solidarity, raising awareness about the unjust policies of administrative detention. Adnan’s health deteriorated significantly during the hunger strike and this led to concerns about his life.

Due to mounting pressure, Israeli authorities eventually released Adnan in April 2012. His hunger strike had forced the world to pay attention to the plight of Palestinian political prisoners and the unjust nature of administrative detention.

Following his release, Adnan continued to advocate for Palestinian rights. He travelled extensively, sharing his experiences and shedding light on the situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

At the start of the 2014 Israel-Gaza conflict, on July 8, Adnan was detained once more. On May 5, 2015, he started his second hunger strike. Since then, he has been held in custody. Adnan was on a hunger strike, and it appeared that the Israeli authorities were intent to end it by force-feeding him using methods identical to those employed by the US government at its Guantanamo Bay detention facility.

The Israeli Medical Society and numerous human rights organisations opposed Israel’s intended course of action. The ISM issued orders to Israeli doctors ordering them to abstain from any planned forced feedings except in very specific circumstances that did not apply to Adnan at the time.

In 2015, Adnan was held without charge once more and he went on another 56-day hunger strike before Israel agreed to free him in July of that year. When he was taken into custody once more in 2017, he immediately started a hunger strike that lasted for 58 days. In 2021, after being caught at an Israeli checkpoint and being arrested once again, he went on a 25-day hunger fast in protest.

On 5 February 2023, Adnan was arrested and this arrest led to his death after he went on a hunger strike that lasted 87 days.

Khader Adnan family

Adnan’s mother is not known, but his father’s name is Musa Adnan.

As for his immediate family, Adnan was married to Randa and they had nine children altogether. By the end of 2012, they had already welcomed two daughters and a son, and in late 2013, they also welcomed triplets.

Khader Adnan age

Adnan was born on March 24, 1978. He was 45 years old at the time of his death.

Khader Adnan death

After an 87-day hunger strike, Adnan passed away in prison on May 2, 2023, following his arrest in February 2023. Since 1992, Adnan has been the only Palestinian prisoner to have died after a hunger strike.

According to Physicians for Human Rights Israel, a medic from their organisation had visited Adnan days before he passed away and made an appeal for him to be transferred to a hospital. However,  a military judge determined that Adnan’s medical condition was not urgent during his third military court appeal.

ALSO READ: Alex Aniston: Famous actor’s brother who’s living unconventional life as artist