Taghreed al-Akhras, wife of detained PIJ leader Maher al-Akhras, during a televised interview with Al Mayadeen on Wednesday, August 23, 2023. (Al Mayadeen)

An Israeli occupation force stormed the house of Palestinian Islamic Jihad leader Maher al-Akhras at dawn Wednesday before arresting him, his wife Taghreed al-Akhras confirmed to Al Mayadeen, adding that she feared for his life due to him suffering a number of health issues.

In the early hours of Wednesday, IOF forces detained a number of leaders from the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) and Hamas Resistance groups in a number of raids targeting the occupied West Bank.

Al-Akhras, who is a former prisoner, declared immediately after his arrest that he was going on an open hunger strike.

"نتخوف على حياة الأسير #ماهر_الأخرس ولكن إرادته أقوى وهو يمدنا بالصبر وان شاء الله سيخرج منتصراً"
زوجة الأسير ماهر الأخرس لـ #الميادين #فلسطين pic.twitter.com/KSxFz0PzoD
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) August 23, 2023

"We fear for [his] life, but his will is stronger, and he provides us [with] patience, and God willing, he will emerge victorious," she added.

The prisoner's wife further expressed her concern that the family has not yet received any information about his condition since his detainment.

"قوة إسرائيلية اقتحمت المنزل فجراً واعتقلت الشيخ #ماهر_الأخرس وهو مريض ونتخوف على صحته"
زوجة الأسير ماهر الأخرس لـ #الميادين #فلسطين pic.twitter.com/tH6hXCN4A2
— قناة الميادين (@AlMayadeenNews) August 23, 2023

Al-Akhras previously underwent administrative detention in occupation jails in 2009 for 16 months.

He was also arrested in 2018 and then again in 2020, when he fought the Empty Stomachs battle, during which he carried out an open hunger strike that lasted 103 days, eventually leading to his liberation in November of the same year.

Last May, Khader Adnan, a senior member of the PIJ, was martyred inside Israeli occupation prisons after 87 days of an open hunger strike.

Prior to his martyrdom, the Israeli military court in "Ofer Prison" refused to issue his release despite several warnings that his health condition was deteriorating.

The Prisoners' Information Office stated at the time that Adnan's martyrdom raised the total number of martyrs from the Captive Movement to 237.