Palestinian Prisoner Dies In Israeli Custody Over Hunger Strike

Khader Adnan, a high-profile Palestinian prisoner, has died in Israeli custody after a nearly three-month hunger strike.

Adnan was a leader in the Islamic Jihad armed group, and his death raises the potential for renewed violence between Israel and Palestinian armed groups, as violence surges in the West Bank.

Shortly after his death was announced, Palestinian armed groups in the Gaza Strip fired a volley of rockets into southern Israel, and Palestinians called for a general strike in the West Bank and the Gaza Strip.

The tactic of hunger strikes has become a last recourse for resistance against what Palestinians see as unjust incarcerations.

Palestinian prisoners are seen as national heroes, and any perceived threat to them while in Israeli detention can touch off tensions or violence.

Israel has often conceded to demands to release prisoners or shorten their sentences after they staged life-threatening hunger strikes. Adnan, 45, began his strike shortly after being arrested on February 5.

Several Palestinians have gone on prolonged hunger strikes in recent years to protest being held in administrative detention, and in most cases, Israel has eventually released them after their health significantly deteriorated.