RAMALLAH, Palestine

Palestinian hunger striker Kayed al-Fasfous is proud of defeating the Israeli occupation by his “empty-stomach” campaign.

Al-Fasfous, 32, staged a 131-day hunger strike in protest of his detention under Israel’s administrative detention policy, which allows Tel Aviv to hold Palestinians without trial or charge.

He was finally freed by Israel on Sunday.

“I’m ready to repeat my hunger strike again if rearrested without charge,” a defiant al-Fasfous told Anadolu Agency from his hospital bed on Tuesday.

“I’m a strong-willed. I will strike again if they (Israel) hold me again under their administrative detention policy,” he said.

Al-Fasfous, from the West Bank town of Dura, was detained by Israeli forces in July 2020 without charge and remained in prison until he was released after staging his hunger strike.

He had previously served seven years in Israeli prisons.

“Since I started my hunger strike, I was subjected to physical and psychological torture in Israeli prison,” al-Fasfous said. “I was handcuffed and assaulted. They placed me in solitary confinement.”

There are 4,650 Palestinians in Israeli jails, including 500 held under administrative detention policy without charge or trial, according to Palestinian NGOs that follow prisoners' affairs.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar in Ankara