Human rights groups have lashed Israel for its practice of keeping Palestinian suspects in prison indefinitely without trial. Hunger strikes have become a tactic of last resort to resist the Israeli judicial system.

­Palestinian prisoner Khader Adnan, 33, attracted worldwide media attention after he spent more than two months on hunger strike to highlight the plight of fellow Palestinians in similar circumstances.

Adnan was placed in administrative detention nine times after Israel identified him as an activist with the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, a group Israel regards as terrorist.

His ninth arrest on 17 December was the last straw for Adnan. He started a hunger strike which was to last 66 days – the longest in Palestinian history.

On 21 Feb 2012, Israeli authorities announced they had reached a deal with Adnan, who agreed to immediately end his hunger strike in return for a promise of release on April 17.

Adnan’s epic fast left him unable to walk and he is now being fed intravenously.