GAZA CITY: The Israeli military traded fire with Gaza fighter on Tuesday in a flare-up of violence following the death in Israeli custody of a Palestinian prisoner on hunger strike.

The Israeli army said it hit Gaza with “tank fire” in response to rockets from the Palestinian enclave, sparking a renewed volley from Gaza that was witnessed by journalists.

The exchange of fire came hours after 45-year-old prisoner Khader Adnan died, nearly three months after being detained in the occupied West Bank over his ties to the Islamic Jihad group.

Palestinian prime minister Mohammad Shtayyeh described his death as a “deliberate assassination”, charging Israel had killed him “by rejecting his request for his release, neglecting him medically and keeping him in his cell, despite the seriousness of his health condition”. News of his death was initially followed by three rockets fired from Gaza, the Israeli army said.

Israel’s retaliatory tank fire was met with a further 22 projectiles launched from Gaza, the military reported. The territory’s rulers Hamas and Islamic Jihad, said in joint statement the rocket fire was an “initial response” to Adnan’s death.

The Magen David Adom emergency service said three people were woun­ded with shrapnel in the Sderot area, near the Gaza border.

After meeting with the military chief, Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned “anyone who attempts to harm the citizens of Israel will be sorry.”

Israel’s prison service had announced the death of a detainee who was affiliated to Islamic Jihad, saying he was “found early this morning in his cell unconscious”.

Adnan was the first Palestinian to die in decades as a direct result of a hunger strike, according to advocacy group the Pales­tinian Prisoners’ Club.

Other Palestinian detai­nees have died “as a result of attempts to force feed them”, said the group’s director Qaddura Faris. Palestinians launched a general strike in West Bank cities in response to Adnan’s death.

Israel’s far-right Natio­n­­al Security Minister Ita­mar Ben-Gvir said prison officials decided to close cells to “prevent riots”.

“The directive to the prisoner service is zero tolerance towards hunger strikes and disturbances in security prisons,” he said. A senior Israeli official described Adnan as “a hunger striker who refu­sed medical attention, risking his life”.

“The military appeal court decided against releasing him from detention solely on the merit of his medical condition,” said the official, who requested anonymity because they were not authorised to speak publicly to the media.

Adnan was described by the official as an “operative” of Islamic Jihad, who was facing charges related to his activities within the group.

Published in Dawn, May 3rd, 2023