Israel, Palestinian groups exchange fire after detainee’s death in prison

ANKARA

Palestinian groups in Gaza and Israel exchanged fire on Tuesday, shortly after the death of a Palestinian hunger striker in an Israeli prison.

In a statement, the Israeli army said 22 rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel, with 16 of them falling into open areas while four were intercepted.

Sirens sounded in southern parts of the country, according to the statement.

In response, Israeli tanks fired shells into the Gaza Strip.

Israel's national emergency medical service Magen David Adom said a 25-years-old Israeli and three foreign workers were injured from rocket fire in the southern city of Sderot.

Palestinian groups Hamas and Islamic Jihad claimed responsibility for the rocket fire, according to Haaretz newspaper.

Palestinian hunger striker Khader Adnan died in an Israeli prison on Tuesday after an 86-day hunger strike.

The Israel Prison Service (IPS) said Adnan, a member of Islamic Jihad group, was found unconscious and was taken to hospital but attempts to resuscitate him failed.

The detainee’s death has triggered a storm of condemnations, with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh terming it a “deliberate assassination”.

The 44-year-old, from the town of Arraba, west of Jenin, started his hunger strike on Feb. 5 to protest his detention by the Israeli authorities.

Adnan was repeatedly detained by Israeli forces and had staged multiple hunger strikes to protest his detention.

In 2012, Adnan staged a 66-day hunger strike in protest of his detention, forcing the Israeli authorities to release him.

He staged similar hunger strikes in 2015 and 2018.