Palestinian Hunger Striker Hospitalized, in Failing Health

Israeli Official Rejects Call for 'Observation,' Sends Striker Back to Prison

Palestinian hunger striker Hanaa al-Shalabi was transferred to a hospital earlier today after Physicians for Human Rights determined her life was in danger, urging her to remain under observation in the hospital because of her “feeble pulse.

She didn’t stay long, however, as Israeli officials rejected the call for “observation” and sent Shalabi immediately back to prison following her examination. Shalabi has been on a hunger strike for 33 days.

Shalabi became the second high profile hunger striker of the year for Israel, after a multi-month strike by Khader Adnan. Shalabi, like Adnan, is being held without charges under a military “detention” order.

Shalabi had been held for over two years under a similar “detention order” without charges from 2009-2011, and was released in October as part of the prisoner swap for Gilad Shalit. She was captured again in February, however, and started the strike in protest of her complete lack of legal recourse for open-ended summary detentions.

Author: Jason Ditz

Jason Ditz is Senior Editor for Antiwar.com. He has 20 years of experience in foreign policy research and his work has appeared in The American Conservative, Responsible Statecraft, Forbes, Toronto Star, Minneapolis Star-Tribune, Providence Journal, Washington Times, and the Detroit Free Press.