Bracha Derdik, the mother of Tal Yinon Derdik, who is being held under an administrative detention order and is on the 17th day of a hunger strike, has appealed to the Defense Minister to secure her son's release. According to reports, Derdik has thus far rejected all alternative detention arrangements offered to him.
Derdik's mother called on Defense Minister Israel Katz and the commander of the IDF Central Command to release her son.
She said he is in real danger of losing his life as a result of his prolonged hunger strike and urged the authorities to intervene "before it is too late."
In light of his deteriorating medical condition, the legal aid organization Honenu submitted an urgent request for Derdik to be transferred to a hospital for a medical evaluation.
"Israel Katz, about a year ago you promised that you would end administrative detentions. But in reality, you know that hasn't happened. We appealed to you, public figures appealed to you, and your response has been to claim you don't know what this is about and that there's nothing you can do. That's not true. It's within your authority. Israel, release him. Release my son before it's too late," his mother said.
Security officials said Derdik is suspected of involvement in committing an indecent act against one of the victims during an especially violent incident in Khumsa, in the Jordan Valley, in March. During the incident, Jewish assailants allegedly attacked Arabs -including women and children-with clubs, tied up several of them, committed an indecent act against one of the victims, and left four people requiring medical treatment.
Earlier, Arutz Sheva first reported that Derdik had rejected all of the detention alternatives proposed by the IDF following the intervention of Defense Minister Israel Katz. Among the proposals were release to house arrest at his parents' home in Ma'ale Adumim or renting an apartment in a legal location in Judea and Samaria for him and his family.
According to security officials, Derdik rejected all of the proposals outright and said he would agree only to house arrest at his own home, located in Area B in what authorities describe as an illegal outpost. He reportedly made clear that unless he is allowed to remain in his home, he intends to continue his hunger strike.
Security officials stressed that Derdik is not being held because he has been denied house arrest, but because he refuses to accept a lawful alternative approved by the District Court. They said that once he provides a legal address for house arrest, he will be released from prison to house arrest.
The officials also said he cannot be released to his home in Area B because of a Cabinet decision adopted several weeks ago prohibiting the establishment of unauthorized outposts in Area B. According to them, the decision was intended to prevent tensions with the United States and to help promote and strengthen Israeli communities in Area C.
Derdik, a resident of Tarfon Farm and father of four, was arrested about two weeks ago on suspicion of violating an administrative order requiring him to remain under house arrest at his mother-in-law's home. Authorities allege the arrangement was made without her knowledge or consent.
Following his arrest, Derdik began a hunger strike and later also stopped drinking water. The Honenu legal aid organization claims his condition has deteriorated significantly, alleging he has suffered repeated episodes of losing consciousness, substantial weight loss, declining vital signs, and a body temperature that dropped to 34 degrees Celsius. (93.2°F).
Officials in the Defense Minister's Office emphasized that Katz has no authority over the current proceedings. They said that since taking office, he has not signed administrative detention orders, while other restrictive orders fall under the authority of the commander of the IDF Central Command. They added that Derdik's case is being handled through the prosecution and the courts, not by the defense minister or the Central Command.
The officials also highlighted what they described as the government's support for settlement, saying that over the past year and a half Katz, together with Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and with the backing of the prime minister, has overseen the establishment of 104 new communities in Judea and Samaria, the legalization of 160 outposts, the end of administrative detention orders, and military operations to take control of terrorist strongholds in Jenin, Tulkarm, and Nur al-Shams. They added, "There is no greater friend of the settlements than the Defense Minister."
Derdik's family sharply rejected the security officials' account.
"Central Command is lying, and the Defense Minister refuses to correct this injustice. Contrary to what was stated in the announcement to the media, no offer was ever made to rent an apartment for him. Following the court's suggestion that the security authorities present appropriate alternatives, they submitted an official document containing three recycled, impractical, and irrelevant proposals. To this day, no genuine and reasonable proposal has been made that addresses the family's most basic needs."
The family added: "Yesterday Minister Katz announced that, following the cancellation of administrative detentions, he would also reexamine the use of other administrative orders that have exceeded their proper scope. But today he suddenly reversed course and is trying to legitimize the order through superficial and absurd changes."
They concluded: "Tal Yinon manages a farm with 150 sheep. House arrest or forcing him away from his farm would destroy his livelihood and his family. The Defense Minister must make the courageous decision to revoke the administrative order in its entirety today and put an end to the use of these orders altogether."