Issawi signs agreement with Israel, ends hunger strike

RAMALLAH (Ma'an) -- Long term hunger striker Samer Issawi ended his protest action on Tuesday after signing an agreement with Israel which guarantees his release, his lawyer Jawad Bolous said.

The deal will see Issawi released to his hometown of Jerusalem after serving eight months in jail, after 266 days of refusing food in protest against his rearrest by Israeli forces.

The agreement was signed at Kaplan Medical Center in Israel where Issawi is currently being held, and both his uncle and brother were present at the signing, Bolous said.

Israeli officials reportedly agreed to the deal after Issawi said Monday that he would boycott any future court hearings and refuse to recognize the legitimacy of Israeli courts.

Hani Issawi, the prisoner's uncle, told Ma'an the agreement was written at Israel's Ofer military court.

Samer Issawi "feels he achieved a victory thanks to his adherence to principles he believed in," his uncle said.

Issawi's victory was partly due to his rejection of Israeli efforts to deport him and so he "achieved a basic Palestinian goal of resisting exile and adherence to the right of return," his uncle added. more

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