Another Bobby Sands

News in Brief

A new Palestinian political prisoner, Hana Shalabi, has been on hunger strike for over a month against her detention without trial.

Palestinian political prisoner Khader Adnan ended his 66-day hunger strike on 21 February (see PN 2543) after winning a commitment from the Israeli authorities that he would be released on 17 April, an unprecedented concession.

On 16 February, Hana Shalabi, 30, was arrested, imprisoned and beaten. She immediately began a hunger strike in protest at the ill-treatment she suffered and at her detention. The hunger strike continues as PN goes to press.

Hana Shalabi continued her fast even after an Israeli military court shortened her ‘administrative detention’ from six to four months. Her parents in the West Bank village of Burqin, who have been barred from seeing their daughter, began their own solidarity hunger strike on 23 February.

Hana Shalabi was held in administrative detention for two years before being released in an exchange deal in October 2011.

Write to: brigadier general Danny Efroni, military judge advocate general, arbel@mail.idf.il