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Khader, Hana, and others inspired them. They're doing it en masse for justice. Hundreds more may join them. Israel holds thousands of Palestinian political prisoners. Three al-Aridha brothers are among them - Amjad, serving 20 years, Mahmoud for life, and Raddad indefinitely without charge.
Khader also went to Kafr Raai village to meet Bilal Thiab's mother. He's been hunger striking about 50 days. Asked about his last prison moments before freedom, Khader said:
"It looked like an uprising as all my hunger-striking fellow prisoners began chanting 'Allahu akbar' (Allah is greater).""I tried to bid them farewell, but I was denied that and was moved from one detention center to another until I finally arrived at Salem center in the northern West Bank."
Abusively moving him from one location to another delayed his release 16 hours. At Salem, ICRC got custody. They took him to Arraba. Khader added that Israel's delay reactivated his hunger strike. He feared not being released.
"They detained me in the darkness so that nobody could see them, and when they released me they did it in the darkness so that nobody could welcome me. They failed in that because I had a reception which indicates that our people are still committed to the prisoners' cause and will support them until they are all freed."
Israeli abuses don't quit. Even on days prisoners are released they're abused. Windows in other prisoners' cells were "shut down" to prevent them from seeing Khader leave.
He believes hunger striking for justice works. He supports prisoners doing it in "stages." First dozens, then hundreds, then en masse to expose prison and occupation harshness. He hopes hundreds more will join those now striking.
"My hunger strike was not a new form of hunger strike, but the long duration gave it special importance. This is like vertical expansion where you construct a building on a small area of land, but that building benefits everybody."
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