Al-Aridah mourns martyr Adnan in exclusive letter sent to Al Mayadeen

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The commander of Operation Freedom Tunnel, which saw six Palestinian prisoners freeing themselves from the Israeli occupation's Gilboa Prison, Mahmoud Al-Aridah, sent an exclusive letter to Al Mayadeen in which he addresses the martyred Palestinian Islamic Jihad official hours after he won his battle against the Israeli occupation.

"From the commander of the operation that saw prisoners snatching their freedom from their jailers to the soul of the martyr who lit the fuse of the battle of empty stomachs, Sheikh Khader Adnan," the letter's introduction read.

Al-Aridah went on to describe the martyr as a glowing star "that illuminates the path of freedom [...] in light of this major event, this huge star, Khader Adnan, turned into a SuperNova that lights up the dark path of freedom."

The Israeli occupation, through murdering Adnan, "dealt a blow to the country, and it is awaiting a response," he added, stressing that the assassination of Sheikh Adnan "is an attempt to assassinate the country as a whole."

Finally, Al-Aridah addressed the martyr's family, offering his condolences to them and saying the Palestinian resistance found solace in the fact that Adnan "passed after dedicating himself to the cause of God [...] you will be envied by the free people of the world for your loss."

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) announced on Tuesday the martyrdom of one of its senior members, Khader Adnan, inside Israeli occupation prisons.

"In our long march towards Al-Quds, we will lose many brave men, leaders, and fighters along the way, and Commander Khader Adnan was one of those who paved a wide path for all those who seek freedom in Palestine and the world," the PIJ said in a statement. 

Read next: Who is martyr Khader Adnan?

Khader Adnan's martyrdom, who had been on hunger strike for nearly three months in protest of his unfair detention, comes two days after the Israeli military court in Ofer Prison refused to issue his release despite several warnings that his health condition was deteriorating.

It is noteworthy that this open-ended hunger strike, which Adnan staged until his death is the longest he has ever waged over the past years of his detention. The martyr had already been through five previous hunger strikes.

The occupation forces arrested Khader Adnan on February 5, after raiding his house in the town of Arraba, south of Jenin.

Adnan had been arrested a total of 12 times throughout his life and spent a total of 8 years in occupation detention centers, most of which were under administrative detention.