Palestinian activist close to death

Palestinian activist Hana Shalabi who has reportedly refused to eat food ever since she was apprehended by Israeli authorities on "administrative detention" is on the verge of death, doctors have said. The Palestinian Authority's Minister of Prisoner Affairs Issa Qaraqe said on Monday that Shalabi has been transferred to Meir Hospital due to a continued deterioration of health. Shalabi, who has been under 'administrative detention' by Israel, has been on a hunger strike for 34 days in protest of the controversial detention policy. Qaraqe added that the Shalabi was transferred after being examined by a female physician from the "Physicians for Human Rights" (PHR) committee after Israel allegedly delayed the check-up for three hours. Qaraqe quoted the PHR committee as saying that Shalabi was no longer able to stand and suffered from nausea, stomach-aches, headaches, and a slow heart rate. They also said the activist refused to take any medication or liquids except in the presence of PHR phsyicians who will be with her Tuesday morning. Shalabi has lost 14 kilograms (31 pounds), her muscles are wasting and she is in excruciating pain, said Ran Cohen of PHR Israel, which has provided her a doctor. She has taken only water since her arrest on February 16. Hana Shalabi, a 29-year-old woman from the West Bank village of Burqin, was formally held for 25 months in administrative detention and released last October in the Gilad Shalit prisoner swap. She was re-arrested within four months of her release. Since her second arrest, Shalabi has refused to eat in protest of her continued detention without charges or trial. The IDF claims it has intelligence indicating Shalabi might endanger regional security. Palestinian authority (PA) officials stated that Israel offered to release Shalabi and deport her to the Gaza Strip – an offer which was refused by the PA, which demands her immediate and unconditional release.  She is a supporter of the militant Islamic Jihad group, is being held without formal charges, an Israeli system called "administrative detention." She is scheduled to be released in another three months. Israeli military officials say they use administrative detention to hold people who pose an immediate risk to the country's security, or when displaying incriminating evidence would reveal Israeli intelligence-gathering networks. More than 300 of some 6,000 Palestinians currently held by Israel on security-related charges are in administrative detention. Rights activists say international law allows this practice only in exceptional cases and that Israel blatantly violates these restrictions. Prison authorities say 20 Palestinian detainees have launched hunger strikes in support of Shalabi in the past two weeks. Earlier this year, administrative detainee Khedr Adnan (33) staged a hunger strike for 66 days. He ended the protest after reaching a deal with the Israeli authorities to free him in April. Adnan was released from  Rebecca Sieff hospital on Wednesday. Minister Qaraqe said he held Israel responsible for Shalabi's life due to their indifference to her condition and refusal to respond to her demands of canceling her administrative detention. He also demanded that international human rights and humanitarian institutions intervene in order to save the activist's life.  Islamic Jihad also said it would hold Israel responsible for Shalabi's well-being. "The criminal occupation will bear full responsibility for any harm caused to Shalabi, what is happening to her will not pass unnoticed and the occupation leaders should fully realise the consequences of their criminal actions," stated the movement.