JERUSALEM: Israel on Wednesday suspended a detention-without-trial order on ailing Palestinian hunger striker Mohammed Allan without releasing him, ordering him to stay in hospital pending a final decision on his fate.
"Due to the petitioner's medical condition he will remain in intensive care," said the ruling on Allan's case, seen by AFP.
"This means that for now, owing to the hunger striker's medical condition, the administrative detention order is no longer operative."
But the court did not say that Allan was now a free man.
"After his condition stabilises, if Allan asks to be moved to another hospital he is to apply to the authorities and in the case of difficulty or disagreement it will be possible to turn to the court," it added.
Cabinet minister Miri Regev of Prime Minister Netanyahu's right-wing Likud party slammed the ruling.
"The High Court gave in to blackmail by the terrorist Mohammed Allan instead of applying the law on forced feeding," Regev, who is culture minister, tweeted.
She was referring to a law passed last month allowing prisoners to be force-fed when their lives are in danger.
The case of Allan, 31, whose two-month hunger strike has put his life at risk, has put intense pressure on Israeli authorities, who have detained him without charge since November.
The authorities fear his death in Israeli custody could further fan the flames of Palestinian unrest.
He regained consciousness Tuesday after being in a coma for several days but pledged to resume fasting if Israel did not resolve his case within 24 hours.
While unconscious, doctors gave him fluids, vitamins and minerals by intravenous drip.