Palestinian Khader Adnan agreed to end his 66-day hunger strike on Tuesday in return for a promise that Israeli authorities would release him on April 17. The alleged militant has been held without charge in an Israeli jail since December. He began to refuse food a day after his imprisonment.

"There is a deal. He will stop his hunger strike. They will not extend his administrative detention and he will be free on April 17," an Israeli Justice Ministry spokesman said after Adnan's lawyer first announced the deal.

EU foreign policy chief Catherine Ashton had said at the weekend that she was "following with great concern" the fate of the 33-year-old Adnan; she urged Israel to preserve his health. A detailed medical report from an Israeli-accredited doctor on behalf of the Physicians for Human Rights-Israel NGO was to be a part of Adnan's appeal.

The decision came shortly before the Israeli Supreme Court was due to hear an appeal against Adnan's incarceration under the policy of "administrative detention," a measure that allows Israel to detain suspected militants for six months or longer either without trial or without publicly announcing charges against the detainees. The hearing was subsequently cancelled.

In past cases, Israel's top court had backed administrative detention, agreeing with the government's position that it is a necessary national security measure that helps security services to avoid releasing confidential information in court.

Lieberman: wrong decision

Adnan is a spokesman for the Islamic Jihad movement. His release was criticized by Israeli Foreign Minister Avigdor Lieberman, who called the prisoner a "terrorist."

"There was a wrong decision today, to release this Jihad activist," Lieberman said.

The Israeli military issued a statement on December 17 saying Adnan had been arrested for "activities that threaten regional security." No further details on the reasons behind his detention have since been revealed.

Adnan's hunger strike was thought to be the longest ever undertaken by a Palestinian prisoner in Israel. His first appeal against detention was rejected, prompting his lawyer to go to Israel's Supreme Court instead. Some 400 supporters gathered at a solidarity tent in front of Adnan's family home to celebrate the news of his eventual release.

msh/mz (AFP, dpa, Reuters)