Mahmoud al-Sersik, one of the Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails, ended on Monday a 95-day hunger strike after reaching a deal with Israeli prison services, Palestinian officials said.
Under the deal, Israeli prison services would release al-Sersik on July 10.
Zeyad Abu Ein, director general of the Palestinian ministry of prisoners' affairs in the West Bank, told Xinhua that al-Sersik would spend some time in Israeli al-Ramleh prison's hospital for treatment.
The health of al-Sersik, the 24-year-old soccer player from southern Gaza Strip town of Rafah, deteriorated last week. He went unconscious in the hospital after suffering from anemia and stomach troubles.
Al-Sersik decided not to stop hunger strike when around 1,500 prisoners ended it on May 14 in accordance with an Egyptian- brokered deal reached between Israel and Palestinian prisoners.
The famous soccer player was arrested in the summer of 2009, as he was going to play games in the West Bank city of Nablus. Before passing through Erez Crossing point, he was detained by Israeli army.
Israel accused him of being a member in the Islamic Jihad (Holy War) movement, and held him in jail without trial ever since. |