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PA Accuses Israel of Assassinating Adnan, Islamic Jihad Vows Vengeance

A vigil in front of the Church of the Nativity to condemn the death of Khader Adnan in Israeli prisons (Wafa)
A vigil in front of the Church of the Nativity to condemn the death of Khader Adnan in Israeli prisons (Wafa)
    Ramallah - Tel Aviv - Kifah Zboun and Asharq Al-Awsat
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PA Accuses Israel of Assassinating Adnan, Islamic Jihad Vows Vengeance

A vigil in front of the Church of the Nativity to condemn the death of Khader Adnan in Israeli prisons (Wafa)
A vigil in front of the Church of the Nativity to condemn the death of Khader Adnan in Israeli prisons (Wafa)

Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh has accused Israel of assassinating the prisoner Khader Adnan, one of the most prominent leaders of Islamic Jihad.

Adnan, 44, died in his prison on Tuesday after a long hunger strike that lasted 87 days.

The Israeli Prison Service said in a statement announcing his death that he had been on hunger strike since his arrest on Feb. 5.

Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir decided to close the cells and prevent the movement of Palestinian prisoners to "prevent riots."

The Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemned the "heinous crime," saying the Israeli government is fully responsible for the death of Adnan.

The Ministry announced that it would submit the file of this crime to the International Criminal Court.

The Arab League condemned the crime of the death of Adnan, saying Israel is fully responsible.

Meanwhile, the wife of Adnan, Randa Musa, held a press conference in Araba town, near Jenin, saying the family will receive well-wishers because Adnan's martyrdom brings them pride and honor.

"We do not want the weapons not used to free the Sheikh (Adnan) to be used after his death. We do not want to see any bloodshed," she announced.

In a will written on Apr. 2, Adnan urged the Palestinian people not to "despair no matter the occupier's actions, regardless of the extent of their escalation in their occupation, aggression, oppression, and transgression."

In his will, he asked his family |not to allow the occupier” to carry out an autopsy on his body.

Physicians for Human Rights in Israel said that its doctors visited Adnan and were concerned about his severe and life-threatening health condition, asserting the need to transfer him immediately to a hospital.

Israeli rights group B'Tselem described the hunger strike of Khader Adnan as "a form of non-violent protest against his arrest and the injustices of the occupation."

The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) offered its condolences to Adnan's family and called on Israel to release his body so his loved ones "can mourn and arrange a dignified burial."

In a statement, the head of the Palestinian Prisoners Association, Qadri Abu Bakr, confirmed that the authority submitted an urgent request not to carry out an autopsy on Adnan's body, indicating that there was no date for handing over his body yet.

Secretary General of the Islamic Jihad Movement Ziyad al-Nakhala said in a statement that Israel will pay the price for its crime. Hamas also threatened to respond.

On Tuesday, Israeli tanks bombed a site east of Gaza in response to rockets fired from the Strip after the death of Adnan.

The Israeli army said that at least 22 rockets were fired from Gaza, and it responded, downing four while the other 16 fell in open areas.

The al-Quds Brigades, the military arm of Jihad, declared a state of alert among its fighters, and the movement's officials canceled their travel outside the Gaza Strip to join the meeting of the movement's political bureau.

The Israeli army officially canceled pre-planned maneuvers around the Gaza Strip and alerted the Strip's borders for fear of attacks following the death of Adnan.

Elior Levy, a Palestinian Affairs Correspondent and Analyst for Kan Channel, tweeted that it was a "problematic morning for Israel," considering Adnan as a symbol of Palestinian steadfastness and resistance to Israeli detention. He noted that Islamic Jihad could be preparing for a response.

However, it is believed in Israel that Jihad is not ready to enter a round of fighting alone, without Hamas, which will avoid entering into battle but will not prevent the factions from firing rockets.

Meanwhile, gunmen attacked a settler vehicle near Tulkarm, injuring several. The armed groups that launched the attack vowed to escalate in the West Bank as revenge for Adnan.

The prisons witnessed unprecedented tensions and confrontations, and the Supreme Emergency Committee for Palestinian Prisoners Affairs declared a state of alert until the crime was reciprocated.

The national and Islamic forces declared a comprehensive strike in the West Bank, the Gaza Strip, and Jerusalem, organized angry vigils, and opened funeral homes in the main cities. Universities and schools were closed, and lawyers suspended their work before the Palestinian and Israeli courts.

The Palestinian Authority demanded the formation of an international commission of inquiry into the circumstances of Adnan's execution, as the Israeli authorities transferred his body and the security services began discussing handing over his body to his family.

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Lebanese President Sponsors Dialogue with Hezbollah on its Weapons, State Monopoly over Arms 

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meet at the Baabda presidential palace on Monday. (Lebanese Presidency)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meet at the Baabda presidential palace on Monday. (Lebanese Presidency)
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Lebanese President Sponsors Dialogue with Hezbollah on its Weapons, State Monopoly over Arms 

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meet at the Baabda presidential palace on Monday. (Lebanese Presidency)
Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and parliament Speaker Nabih Berri meet at the Baabda presidential palace on Monday. (Lebanese Presidency)

Lebanese President Joseph Aoun and parliament Speaker Nabih Berri held a meeting at the Baabda presidential palace on Monday to pave the way for dialogue with Hezbollah leaders on the Iran-backed party’s possession of arms and need for the state to have monopoly over arms in the country.

Official sources told Asharq Al-Awsat that dialogue with Hezbollah aims to test the waters and the extent to which it is prepared to reach an agreement on its arsenal. Berri, Hezbollah’s sole remaining ally in Lebanon, supports intervening on behalf of the party – if necessary – to bridge any divides in the dialogue.

Any agreement will be followed with the drafting of a national security strategy for Lebanon, including a defense strategy, added the sources.

The sources said direct dialogue between Aoun and Hezbollah over the state monopoly over arms remains the better option than referring the issue to a dialogue table with other political parties seeing as agreements reached during past rounds of talks over the years were never implemented.

Deputy US special envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus, who was in Lebanon last week, expressed to Aoun her understanding of his desire to hold direct dialogue with Hezbollah.

However, she stressed that time is not in Lebanon’s favor as it needs to resolve the issue which would pave the way for other solutions to its numerous crises.

Ortagus met during her visit with Aoun, Prime Minister Nawaf Salam and Berri.

Talks with the Lebanese leaders helped “soften the American stance” over Lebanon’s approach towards Hezbollah’s weapons possession because “resorting to force to disarm the party will jeopardize civil peace in the country,” said the sources.

Ortagus stated she was willing to travel to Beirut for a third time this year, possibly at the end of April or early May, to follow up on financial reforms and efforts to limit the possession of weapons to the state.

She has stressed the need for Lebanon to meet its obligations “as soon as possible” to avoid the dialogue becoming a waste of time and to prevent Lebanon from heading towards a collision course with the international community which has set as a priority the state achieving monopoly over arms.

Fulfilling that demand will restore confidence in Lebanon and speed up international efforts to help it resolve its crises.

The sources said Hezbollah is aware that limiting the possession of weapons won’t happen “at the press of a button.” However, stalling over the issue will not provide it with excuses to renege on its commitment to implement United Nations Security Council resolution 1701 and declaration that it will stand by the state in reaching diplomatic solutions that would make Israel respect the ceasefire and withdraw from the South.

Hezbollah has effectively become isolated with no allies but Berri. The party cannot escape local, Arab and international pressure to disarm, especially after the weakening of the “Resistance Axis”, which it is a part of, and Iran’s waning influence in the region, political sources told Asharq Al-Awsat.

Iran’s sole concern now is protecting its regime, they stressed.

So, Hezbollah has no choice but to join efforts to build a state and commit to conditions that have been imposed by the changes in the region and Lebanon, they went to say.

Hezbollah’s launch of its “support front” with Gaza and dragging Lebanon into a reckless confrontation with Israel has cost it dearly and it can no longer rise from under the rubble – in the political sense – without outside financial and economic support to help it rebuild what Israel destroyed, said the sources.

The question remains: will dialogue lead Hezbollah to disarm and agree to the state to have monopoly over weapons? Or will it use the dialogue to gain time as Iran seeks to improve its conditions as it prepares to hold negotiations with the US?

European parties had advised the party to reassess its calculations and reconsider its stances so that it places Lebanon first in its political choices so that it can reconcile with its political parties after years of tensions sparked by its monopoly of the decision of war and peace.