The appeal of hunger-striking Palestinian prisoner Khalil Awawdeh to an Israeli court for his release from administrative detention was rejected on Monday, according to Palestinian reports.
Awawdeh was transferred from a prison in Ramla to Shamir Medical Center last week after his health condition deteriorated, according to Israeli and Palestinian reports.
Awawdeh has been on a hunger strike for over 155 days. Palestinian prisoner organizations have warned that Awawdeh is in danger of dying and that Israel will be held responsible if he dies. An Israeli defense official told Army Radio on Sunday that Awawdeh's life is not at risk.
While Islamic Jihad Secretary-General Ziyad al-Nakhala had said that Israel had agreed to release Awawdeh as part of a ceasefire agreement reached to end Operation Breaking Dawn, Israeli officials have stated that they made no promise to release him. Despite Nakhala's claim, Islamic Jihad official Mohammad al-Hindi stated later that the ceasefire agreement only required Egypt to make an effort to have Awawdeh released and did not require that he actually be released.