Violence flares in Gaza after death of Palestinian hunger striker Khader Adnan

Protests have erupted in the West Bank

A protest in Nablus following the death of Khader Adnan. EPA

Gaza Strip residents fear the death of Palestinian hunger striker Khader Adnan in an Israeli prison will further destabilise the enclave, one of the most significant flashpoints in the Palestine-Israel conflict.

On Thursday afternoon, the Israeli military said it had identified 22 rocket launches from Gaza, four of which were intercepted. The remaining 16 fell in open areas. It said it had responded to the rockets with tank fire.

Adnan was awaiting trial when he was found dead in his cell on Tuesday morning after an 87-day hunger strike.

Israeli authorities claim Adnan was a senior leader in militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad.

Palestinian activists see him as a hero and symbol of steadfast opposition to Israel’s occupation. He had spent about eight years in administrative detention.

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh described his death as a “deliberate assassination”.

Adnan's death was a result of Israel “rejecting his request for his release, neglecting him medically and keeping him in his cell, despite the seriousness of his health condition”, Mr Shtayyeh said.

He began his protest shortly after he was arrested on February 5. Israel said he refused to undergo medical tests and receive medical treatment, and was found unconscious in his cell.

About 200 people had gathered outside Adnan's home in the occupied West Bank town of Arraba, holding signs bearing his image.

His widow, Randa Musa, told those gathered outside that “we do not want a single drop of bloodshed” in response to his death.

“We do not want rockets to be fired, or a following strike on Gaza,” she told the crowd.

But shortly after Adnan's death, four rockets were fired from Gaza into Israel, although no injuries or damage were reported from the first salvo.

A joint statement by militant factions in Gaza, including the territory's rulers Hamas, said the rocket fire was an “initial response” to Adnan's death.

Israel's prison service said Adnan was in jail for the 10th time and Ms Mousa said her husband had carried out several hunger strikes in detention.

Israel said it was cancelling a military drill that had been planned for the periphery of the Gaza Strip on Tuesday “pursuant to a situational assessment”.

Hours later, Israel's Magen David Adom emergency service said three people had been wounded by shrapnel in the Sderot area, near the Gaza border, following the 22-rocket volley.

Defence Minister Yoav Gallant warned “anyone who attempts to harm the citizens of Israel will be sorry”.

In the West Bank, Israeli authorities said a man was wounded in a shooting near a Jewish settlement.

'Tense and apprehensive'

“Everyone is tense and apprehensive here,” Gaza resident Waseem, who did not disclose his last name, told The National.

Another resident, Jamil, said: “I woke up to the sound of the nearby mosque, which was broadcasting a speech that I didn't understand. I opened my phone and Facebook and found the news about Sheikh Khader Adnan.

“Sheikh Khader used his tools of struggle, the only thing he could from his available means. We are nervous and apprehensive about the moments ahead.”

Tension also spread in the West Bank after Israeli soldiers fired rubber bullets at Palestinians in Hebron during clashes following word of Adnan's death.

Palestinians in the strip, which is controlled by militant organisation Hamas, are frequently caught in the middle of fighting between the group and the Israeli military.

Last August, more than 40 people were killed in three days of fighting. Israel said it was responding to increased threats from PIJ.

As Israeli-Palestinian violence has risen, the number of administrative detainees has increased to more than 1,000 over the past year, the highest number in two decades, AP reported.

For administrative detainees, hunger strikes are often the last recourse.

Several have staged hunger strikes lasting several months, often becoming dangerously ill. Previous Israeli governments have at times conceded to some of their demands to avoid deaths in custody.

This time, warnings about Adnan's deteriorating health were ignored, advocacy group Physicians for Human Rights Israel told AP.

According to the Palestinian Prisoners Association, Adnan had been arrested by Israel 12 times, spending about eight years in prison, mostly under so-called administrative detention, or detention without charges.

Israel says such detentions are required when evidence cannot be revealed in court due to the need to keep intelligence sources secret. Palestinians and rights groups say they deny due process of law.

In April, Israel struck Palestinian militant targets in southern Lebanon and Gaza during Ramadan, when tensions spiralled over the conduct of Israeli police at Al Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem.

In 2021, an 11-day conflict killed 261 people including 67 children, according to the UN.

News of Adnan's death comes a day after an Israeli raid near the West Bank city of Jericho killed a Palestinian teenager and injured six.

The Israeli military said it conducted the operation to apprehend two wanted Palestinians.

Israel is currently holding more than 1,000 Palestinian detainees without charge or trial, the highest number since 2003, according to Israeli human rights group HaMoked.