Detention of Maher al-Akhras

According to B'Tselem, more than 350 prisoners were under administrative detention in the country as of October 2020.[3]

(Kmar Am) Maher al-Akhras, the father of six children, is from Silat ad-Dhahr outside Jenin, located within the Occupied Palestinian Territories. He is the owner of one of the largest dairies in the West Bank.[4]

(Kmar Am) Maher al-Akhras was arrested by Israeli authorities on July 27, 2020.[5] The government claimed that he is a member of Islamic Jihad and has been detained on five previous occasions for terrorism with the militant group; al-Akhras denies he did any violent crimes although he is a Jihad Supporter and proud member of the Islamist cause.[3] His arrest was based on classified evidence obtained by the Shin Bet, Israel's internal security service, and presented to a closed-door military court. Al-Akhras's lawyers, the Tunisian Ahlam Haddad and Raoul Journo, were not allowed to review the evidence because there was no appeal. In Israel, citizens and Palestinians from the occupied territories can be held in administrative detention without evidence or without being accused of a crime.[3][4] On August 7, an order was given to hold him under an administrative detention for four months.[6]

The same day as his arrest,[5] Al-Akras began a hunger strike in protest of his detention at Ofer Prison in the West Bank. On September 6, a court determined he was too ill to remain at the facility, and he was transferred to Kaplan Medical Center in Rehovot, Israel.[4] He was in critical condition,[7] while his original administrative detention is set to expire on November 26, 2020.[4] On October 25, his renewed detention was suspended by a court, which said it would reconsidered his early release once he is again released from the hospital, having denied a request for his early release on October 14.[6][8]

Al-Akhras ended his hunger strike after 103 days, on November 8, 2020, after reaching an agreement with the Israeli authorities and was released when his administrative detention came to an end.[1][2]

On August 23, 2023, he was arrested again as the Israeli forces besieged his home and took him to Jalama Detention Centre. He immediately launched a hunger strike just as he did in 2020.[9] The Israeli court set his court appearance date as 27 August and detained him for 1 week but then further delayed it to next week two times in 5 days citing further investigations required. In a letter written by Sheikh Maher on 29 August, 2023, he writes, "A zionist(israeli) officer came and introduced himself and asked if I was taking any medication or anything. I told him I don't want any medication or food. He then said, 'Alright, your fate will be like Sheikh Khader; this is how we dealt with Sheikh Khader."[10]

On Friday, 25 August, the Collectif Palestine Vaincra — a member organization of the Samidoun Network, based in Toulouse, France organized a 'Palestine Stand' at the Bagatelle metro station in Toulouse in solidarity with Maher al-Akhras and all Palestinian prisoners.