Israel could free Palestinian hunger striker after tests

JERUSALEM — The high-profile case of a Palestinian detainee who has been on a hunger strike for 65 days took a dramatic turn on yesterday after Israel's Supreme Court ordered he undergo medical tests to determine the level of damage and said he would be freed if it was irreversible.

About an hour after the tests were conducted the court said a decision on his release would be made "soon." Results of the MRI were unclear.

Allan is in Israeli custody for alleged affiliation with Islamic Jihad, a Palestinian militant group that has carried out scores of attacks on Israeli civilians and soldiers. He denies the affiliation, and launched his strike to protest his being held for months without charge or trial.

Dr. Hezy Levy of Barzilai hospital in southern Israel, where Allan is being treated, said the detainee was "incoherent" and "not connecting with his surroundings."

"There is some damage in a part of the brain that was probably caused by a lack of vitamins... and it is expressed in other systems of his body," Levy said.

He said Allan would be administered the substances his body is missing. "I hope that it is reversible. I cannot predict right now to what extent it is reversible," he said.

Israel's public security minister said yesterday that releasing Allan would encourage more Palestinian detainees to wage hunger strikes.

Allan's lawyer said the state has proposed a compromise under which Allan would be released in November if he agrees to end his hunger strike.

But attorney Sawsan Zaher said Allan should be released even if the damage is not irreversible as it is still deep enough to prevent him from posing a threat.