Ahmed Tibi (file)
Ahmed Tibi (file)Israel news photo: Flash 90

MK Ahmed Tibi, who visited hunger striking terrorist Khader Adnan at the Ziv Hospital in Tzfat, warned on Monday against what would happen if Adnan died while imprisoned.

“I demand that he be released immediately because if he dies in prison, it could ignite fire and trigger demonstrations” in Judea, Samaria and Gaza as well as around the world, Channel 10 News quoted Tibi as having said.

Tibi added that in this struggle between a hunger strike prisoner and a “hard-hearted” prison guard, the prisoner is always a winner.

“Khader Adnan might die at any moment and the Israeli government will be responsible for the death,” he warned, adding, “The authorities can and must prevent this death by immediately releasing him from administrative detention.”

Tibi claimed that Islamic Jihad leader Adnan was “a political activist” and said his hunger strike is a tool to express his protest against his arrest and humiliation.

He revealed that the prisoner, who is suffering from weakness and has lost 30 kg, was handcuffed to his bed at night and even remains handcuffed when he goes to the bathroom.

“What need is there to handcuff him and how do these physicians accept it submissively?” said Tibi, criticizing the hospital.

Adnan's ongoing hunger strike has become a cause célèbre for anti-Israel activists and Arab propaganda organizations. His attorney appealed his administrative detention order to Israel's Supreme Court, which has agreed to hear the case.

However, observers say the Supreme Court may not consider Adnan's hunger strike – unique only in duration – material to his detention as he is refusing food of his own volition. Previous hunger strikes have not resulted in prisoners being released.

On Monday MK Danny Danon (Likud) initiated a Knesset debate on Arab MKs who elected to visit Adnan in the hospital.

"The Arab MKs are invited to join the terrorists in his hunger strike, but doing so will not deter the state of Israel from doing what is necessary to defend its citizens," Danon said.

Danon initiated the discussion after three Arab Knesset members visited Khader and then openly denounced Israel to reporters, late last week.

"These Arab MKs have crossed all red lines, and now they decide to show solidarity with a terrorist and condemn Israel," Danon said.