Rockets from Gaza Fall in Southern Israel

Palestinian protests over death of detainee Khader Adnan in an Israeli prison

Israeli soldiers fire rubber bullets during clashes in the West Bank after the death of Khader Adnan. Reuters

The Israeli army announced the monitoring of the launch of rockets, yesterday, from the Gaza Strip towards southern Israel, and all of them fell in an open area, while the joint room, which represents the Palestinian factions in Gaza, confirmed its responsibility for the rocket launches, after the death of Khader Adnan, who is detained by Israel after 86 days of hunger strike, and his death caused widespread condemnation and led to clashes between Palestinians and Israeli forces.

According to Agence France-Presse, eyewitnesses said they saw "a barrage of rockets fired from the Strip towards Israel," while the Israeli army said in a statement that "sirens sounded in the Kibbutz Saad area" near the Gaza border.

Adnan, 45, was arrested in early February and went on hunger strike to protest his arrest and was pronounced dead in Ramle prison. The Islamic Jihad mourned Khader Adnan and described his death as a "crime", holding Israel fully and directly responsible for the death, and threatening that the Palestinian factions would not remain silent about this incident.

In Ramallah, Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh described Adnan's death as a "deliberate assassination by Israel," adding that it was caused by Israel's refusal to request his release, medical negligence and keeping him in his cell despite the seriousness of his health condition.

Hussein al-Sheikh, secretary of the PLO's Executive Committee, held Israel "fully responsible" for Adnan's death.

Israeli Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir decided to close the cells and prevent the movement of Palestinian prisoners to prevent escalation, and the Israel Prison Service said that Adnan was found unconscious inside his cell early in the morning, then he was transferred to the hospital and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation, but doctors declared him dead.

Clashes took place in the West Bank city of Hebron after Adnan's death, and Israeli soldiers fired rubber bullets at Palestinian protesters.

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry described Adnan's death as a "heinous crime" and held the Israeli government and its various arms fully and directly responsible. The ministry said in a statement that it would "submit the file of this crime to the International Criminal Court."

In front of the family home in the town of Arraba near Jenin, Randa Moussa, wife of Khader Adnan, held a press conference during which she commented on his death, and confirmed that a funeral home would not be opened, and said: "We will receive well-wishers because this certificate is a wedding, a pride for us and a crown on our heads."

The Palestinian Prisoners' Club said Adnan had written his will after sensing his imminent death from the strike. In his will, in which he addressed his family and the Palestinian people, he said: "Nasrallah is near, and his promise to his servants of victory and empowerment is nearer," and Adnan asked in his will from his family not to allow Israel to autopsy and bury him near his father.