Description:

Palestinian political prisoner and long term hunger striker Samer al Issawi was greeted by hundreds of supporters, friends and family as he was released from an Israeli jail following the longest hunger strike in Palestinian history.
Samer al Azawi was originally captured by the Israeli army and handed a 26 year sentence in 2002. He was released as part of the Gilad Shalit deal alongside over a thousand other prisoners in exchange for 1 Israeli prisoner. However, Asawi was arrested again in July 2012 and held in administrative detention without charge or trial. Following his detention, Asawi went on a 260 day hunger strike in protest against the Israeli\\\'s threatening to renew his original prison sentence for breaking the terms of his parole. Israeli forces raided his family\\\'s home twice just before his release. On Sunday, Israeli authorities gave notices to Issawi\\\'s brother and father, demanding they meet requirements by the Israeli intelligence. Israeli intelligence agents, accompanied by soldiers, told the family they were not allowed to organize any celebrations for Issawi\\\'s release. Samer al Azawi will now join his family in Jerusalem al Quds following a 9 months hunger strike which prompted the Israeli authorities to release him. He stressed the importance of applying international pressure on Israel to release over 4800 Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli jails.