24 apr 2019
The Palestinian Detainees’ Committee has reported, Wednesday, that Israeli soldiers repeatedly assaulted three children while abducting them and subjected them to torture during interrogation.
The Committee stated that the soldiers abducted Bara’ Yousef, 16, from Hijja town, near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, after storming his family’s home late at night, and ransacking it, causing serious property damage.
It added that the soldiers then dragged Bara’ to their jeep, and while transferring him to the al-Jalama interrogation center, they constantly kicked and punched him.
The child was then interrogated for several hours and was forced to stand against the wall for a long period. He spent a total of fifteen days in solitary confinement before he was moved to Majeddo prison.
The soldiers also assaulted Omar Salim, 17, after storming his home in Azzoun town, east of Qalqilia, and dragged him out of the property while kicking and beating him, and once they placed him in their jeep, the soldiers repeatedly stomped him with their heavy military boots.
The Committee stated that the soldiers moved Salim to their base in Karnei Shomron illegal colony, where he was strip-searched him, and held for several hours in a container while his hands and feet where bound.
He was later moved to the police station in Tzofim illegal colony, where he was interrogated, and was then moved to Majeddo prison.
Furthermore, the soldiers abducted Abdullah Mansour, 15, from his home in Jenin refugee camp, in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, after they smashed the door of the property and stormed it while shouting at him and the family, and dragged him outside before cuffing and blindfolding him.
The soldiers continued to assault the child in their military base, and held him in a container for several hours, before transferring him to Majeddo prison.
The Israeli violations against the Palestinian detainees, including detained children, are direct violations of International Law and several articles of the Fourth Geneva Convention, in addition to various human rights agreements on the protection of civilians, especially the children.
The Committee stated that the soldiers abducted Bara’ Yousef, 16, from Hijja town, near the northern West Bank city of Qalqilia, after storming his family’s home late at night, and ransacking it, causing serious property damage.
It added that the soldiers then dragged Bara’ to their jeep, and while transferring him to the al-Jalama interrogation center, they constantly kicked and punched him.
The child was then interrogated for several hours and was forced to stand against the wall for a long period. He spent a total of fifteen days in solitary confinement before he was moved to Majeddo prison.
The soldiers also assaulted Omar Salim, 17, after storming his home in Azzoun town, east of Qalqilia, and dragged him out of the property while kicking and beating him, and once they placed him in their jeep, the soldiers repeatedly stomped him with their heavy military boots.
The Committee stated that the soldiers moved Salim to their base in Karnei Shomron illegal colony, where he was strip-searched him, and held for several hours in a container while his hands and feet where bound.
He was later moved to the police station in Tzofim illegal colony, where he was interrogated, and was then moved to Majeddo prison.
Furthermore, the soldiers abducted Abdullah Mansour, 15, from his home in Jenin refugee camp, in the northern West Bank city of Jenin, after they smashed the door of the property and stormed it while shouting at him and the family, and dragged him outside before cuffing and blindfolding him.
The soldiers continued to assault the child in their military base, and held him in a container for several hours, before transferring him to Majeddo prison.
The Israeli violations against the Palestinian detainees, including detained children, are direct violations of International Law and several articles of the Fourth Geneva Convention, in addition to various human rights agreements on the protection of civilians, especially the children.
An Israeli military court on Tuesday extended the administrative detention of Palestinian lawmaker Mohamed at-Tal, with no trial or indictment.
According to Asra Media Office, the military court of Ofer in Ramallah extended, for the second consecutive time, the administrative detention of MP Tal for four renewable months.
Asra Media Office described the administrative detention of MP Tal as illegal and politically motivated.
The Israeli occupation forces rearrested the lawmaker on December 15, 2018 from his home in ad-Dhahiriya town in al-Khalil a few months after his release from an Israeli jail.
According to Asra Media Office, the military court of Ofer in Ramallah extended, for the second consecutive time, the administrative detention of MP Tal for four renewable months.
Asra Media Office described the administrative detention of MP Tal as illegal and politically motivated.
The Israeli occupation forces rearrested the lawmaker on December 15, 2018 from his home in ad-Dhahiriya town in al-Khalil a few months after his release from an Israeli jail.
Israeli forces detained at least six Palestinians from the southern and northern occupied West Bank, on predawn Wednesday.
According to Palestine Prisoner’s Society (PPS), five Palestinians were detained in the southern West Bank district of Bethlehem. They were identified as Khalil Khaled Salah, Shihadeh Muhammad Salah, Akram Ibrahim Salah, Ahmad Hussein Salah, and Muntaser Abed al-Karim Sadouq.
In the northern West Bank district of Tulkarem, one Palestinian was detained and identified as Islam Raafat Haniya, 24.
According to prisoners rights group Addameer, there are 5,450 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli prisons, including 48 female prisoners, and 205 minors, 32 of whom under 16 years old.
According to Palestine Prisoner’s Society (PPS), five Palestinians were detained in the southern West Bank district of Bethlehem. They were identified as Khalil Khaled Salah, Shihadeh Muhammad Salah, Akram Ibrahim Salah, Ahmad Hussein Salah, and Muntaser Abed al-Karim Sadouq.
In the northern West Bank district of Tulkarem, one Palestinian was detained and identified as Islam Raafat Haniya, 24.
According to prisoners rights group Addameer, there are 5,450 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli prisons, including 48 female prisoners, and 205 minors, 32 of whom under 16 years old.
23 apr 2019
A Palestinian protests the detention of journalist Mohammad al-Qiq, who is on a hunger strike, in the West Bank village of Bilin, near Ramallah on February 19, 2016
Injustice and abuse have forced many Palestinian prisoners into desperate and dangerous hunger strikes.
One of the many ways in which Israel seeks to oppress and control the Palestinian population is by imprisoning those who lead the resistance to its occupation and settler colonialist project.
In Palestine, a Palestinian prisoner in an Israeli jail is referred to as "aseer", or captive, because he or she is not a criminal. What lands Palestinians in Israeli prisons are acts of resistance - from writing a poem about the struggle against the occupation to carrying out an attack against Israeli soldiers in the occupied Palestinian land. For the Israeli occupation, however, every act of Palestinian resistance or defiance is either classified as a form of "terrorism" or "incitement" that cannot be tolerated.
Currently, there are 5,450 prisoners in Israeli jails, 205 of whom are minors and 48 women. According to some estimates, since the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza in June 1967, over 800,000 Palestinians have been imprisoned in Israeli jails.
Needless to say, just as Israel seeks to keep the general Palestinian population in constant distress and oppression, it does so with Palestinian prisoners as well.
In recent months, the already horrific conditions in these jails deteriorated even further after the Israeli government announced that it was adopting rigid measures in prisons as a "deterrence" technique - a move that was seen as election PR in Israel.
"Every so often, infuriating pictures appear of cooking in the terrorist wings. This party is coming to an end," Israel's Public Security Minister, Gilad Erdan said in early January. His plans included placing limits on prisoners' use of water, banning food preparation in cells, and installing jamming devices to block the alleged use of smuggled mobile phones.
The last measure, in particular, caused outrage among prisoners, as such devices have been linked to severe headaches, fainting, and long-term ailments.
In late January, the Israel Prison Service (IPS) raided cells in Ofer Military Prison near Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, which resulted in the injury of more than 140 Palestinian prisoners, some of whom were wounded by live ammunition.
In late March, Naqab, Ramon, Gilboa, Nafha and Eshel prisons were also raided, which led to many Palestinian prisoners being injured. Anger boiled over and on April 7, hundreds of Palestinian jailed in Israeli prisons launched a mass hunger strike which ended eight days later following a deal between the Palestinian prisoners and IPS.
Amid the pre-election noise in Israel, this news was widely ignored by international media, which focused instead on US President Donald Trump's Golan Heights declaration and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's promise to annex the West Bank.
And yet, for Palestinians, most of whom know the pain of having a relative in an Israeli prison, kept under conditions that violate the minimum requirements of international and humanitarian law, this was a major cause of concern and even anger. Palestinians know that behind the numbers and the Israeli propaganda labelling these men, women, and children as "terrorists", there are tragic human stories of suffering and perseverance.
One such story is that of Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Qiq and husband of the coauthor of this article, Fayha Shalash.
Al-Qiq worked as a correspondent with the Saudi news network Al-Majd, covering the West Bank. His TV reports regarding the Israeli army's execution of alleged Palestinian attackers during what is known as Al-Quds Uprising received much attention throughout the Middle East and earned him much admiration among Palestinians.
Because of his work, he was deemed a "threat" by the Israeli state and was arrested in November 2015. This is his story.
'Bury me in my mother's grave'
On Saturday, November 21, 2015, a month and a half after the start of the Al-Quds Uprising, Israeli soldiers raided our house. They blasted through the front door of our humble home and rushed inside. It was the most terrifying scene one could ever imagine. Our one-year-old daughter, Lour, woke up and started crying. As Mohammed was being blindfolded and handcuffed, Lour kept hugging him and touching his cheeks.
Thankfully, Islam, who was three-years-old at the time, was still asleep. I am grateful for that because I didn't want him to see his father being taken away by soldiers in such a violent manner.
In the morning, I had to tell him his father had been taken away; as I tried to explain, his lips quivered and his face contorted in fear and a sadness that no child should ever experience.
This was the fourth time that Mohammed was arrested. His first arrest was in 2003 when he was held for a month; then in 2004, he was arrested again and held for 13 months and in 2008, he was sentenced by an Israeli court to 16 months in prison for his political activities and for his involvement in the Birzeit University Student Council.
Mohammed was then taken to the infamous Al-Jalameh Detention Center for interrogation. He was not allowed to see a lawyer until the 20th day of his detention. He was mentally and physically tortured and repeatedly asked to sign a false confession that he engaged in "media incitement", which he refused to do.
We learned that his detention was extended several times but had no other news from him whatsoever. Our requests for a family visit had been denied and the only thing we could do was wait and pray.
In early December, I came across an online media report that my husband had gone on a hunger strike. I immediately phoned the Prisoners Club, an NGO that was established in 1993 to support Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons, and by mere chance managed to reach a lawyer called Saleh Ayoub who had seen Mohammed in court. He told me that my husband was tried in a closed court session, meaning that neither his family nor his legal counsel had been informed of the trial.
As Mohammed was taken back to his cell, he ran to Ayoub and managed to shout these words: "I am prisoner Mohammed al-Qiq. Tell my family and the media that I am on an open hunger strike. I am currently held at Al-Jalemeh."
When I heard this, I got very scared. We had never experienced this as a family. I didn't fully fathom the effect of such a decision, but I decided to support my husband in it.
For months, I pursued every human rights group that could help me obtain any information about Mohammed's mental and physical health. The Israelis had no evidence against him but continued to keep him, despite his deteriorating health. When he began throwing up blood and could no longer stand on his own, he was transferred to the Ramleh Prison Hospital.
No one was allowed to visit him in the prison hospital then, neither us nor the Red Cross. This is not unique to Mohammed's case, as Israel ensures the complete isolation of any prisoner who stages a hunger strike.
Mohammed became even more determined to carry on with his hunger strike when the Israeli court sentenced him to six months of "administrative detention", which meant that they could not support their accusations against my husband with any tangible evidence but still refused to free him. The administrative detention order was renewable for up to three years.
For me, it was a race against time. I had to make the world hear me, hear the story of my husband, so that enough pressure would be applied on Israel to release him. I feared that it might be too late, that Mohammed could die before that message resonated throughout Palestine and the world.
As his health continued to worsen, he was taken to the Afouleh Hospital where they tried to force-feed him. He refused. When they tried to feed him through an IV, he tore the needle out of his arm and threw it on the ground. I know my husband. For him, life without freedom is just not worth living.
A month into his hunger strike, Mohammed began throwing up yellow bile and blood. The pain in his gut and joints and the chronic headaches were unbearable. Despite all of this, they still tied him to his hospital bed. His right arm and both feet were secured to the various corners of the bed with heavy shackles. He was left like this the entire time.
I felt that Mohammed was going to die. I tried to explain to my son that his father refused food, to fight for his freedom. Islam kept saying, "When I grow up, I will hit the occupation." Lour missed her dad but didn't understand anything. As I fought for their dad's freedom, I had no other option but to be away from them for long periods of time. Our family was broken up.
On February 4, 2016, Mohammed entered his 77th day of the hunger strike. Under popular and international pressure, but mainly because of Mohammed's unbendable will, the Israeli occupation was forced to halt the "administrative detention" order. But for Mohammed that was just not enough.
With this move, The Israeli occupation wanted to send a message that the crisis has been averted in an attempt to mislead the media and the Palestinian people. But Mohammed would not have any of it. He wanted to be set free, so he carried on with his strike for weeks afterwards.
At that time, I was allowed to visit him but chose not to, as not to give the impression that everything was OK now, inadvertently playing into the hands of Israeli propaganda.
It was the most difficult decision I have ever had to make, staying away from the man I love, the father of my children. But I knew that if he saw me or the kids, he could become too emotional, or worse, he could physically break down even more. I remained committed to supporting him in his decision till the end.
At one point I thought to myself, Mohammed will never come back and he will die in prison.
He was so close to our children. He loved them with all of his heart and tried to spend as much time with them as he could. He would play with them, he would carry both, walking around the house or the neighbourhood. So as his death became a possibility, I wondered what I would say to them, how I would answer their questions as they grew up without a father, and how I would carry on without him.
As he reached the 80th day of his hunger strike, his body began to spasm. I learned later that these involuntary spasms were extremely painful. Every time they took place, he recited the Shahada - "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is His Prophet" - in anticipation of his death.
Being aware of what seemed to be his inevitable death, Mohammed wrote a will of which I was unaware. The whole world collapsed before my eyes, as I heard the lines of his will being read on TV:
"I would like to see my wife and children, Islam and Lour before I die. I just want to be sure that they are OK. I also would like the final prayer on my body to be conducted inside the Durra Mosque. Please bury me in my mother's grave, so that she can hold me the way she did when I was still a child. If that is not feasible, please bury me as close to her as possible."
Throughout his hunger strike, the children's photos remained by Mohammed's hospital bed. "Do my kids remember me?" he used to ask whoever visited him.
In the end, his determination proved stronger than the injustice of his tormentors. On February 26, 2016, it was announced that an agreement had been reached between the Palestinian Prisoners Committee representing Mohammed and the Israeli prison administration. My husband was to be released on May 21 of the same year.
Mohammed received his freedom after 94 days on hunger strike. He proved to the world that he was not a terrorist as the Israelis claimed, and he was being punished for simply conveying the suffering of his people to the world. Because of his unrelenting resistance, Israeli military authorities were forced to withdraw all accusations against him.
Mohammed's imprisonment remains a painful memory, but also a great victory for Palestinians everywhere. Mohammed entered prison weighing 99 kilogrammes; by the time he ended his hunger strike, he was only 45kgs. His body was reduced to skin and bones. His athletic build had collapsed upon itself, but his spirit continued to soar as if the weaker he felt physically, the stronger his will had become.
When I came to visit him with our children one week after the end of his strike, I couldn't recognise him. I thought I had entered the wrong room, but when I drew closer, I saw his kind, loving eyes, so I held him and I cried.
Mohammed was released on the agreed upon date, but he was rearrested eight months later. He immediately began another hunger strike that lasted 33 days.
Today, Mohammed is free, but he still speaks about prison and our family still has not gotten over the trauma we have suffered. Islam is worried that his father could be arrested again at night. I tell him not to worry, but I am terrified of that possibility myself. I long for a day where I no longer worry that I may lose my husband.
I also revisit that harrowing experience every time a Palestinian prisoner stages another hunger strike. I know that it is not an easy decision to put your life on the line, to risk everything for what you believe in. The hunger strikes don't just take a heavy toll on the bodies and minds of the prisoners. Their families and communities also shoulder much of that heavy burden.
I feel for them all, and I pray to God that all of our prisoners are set free someday soon.
Injustice and abuse have forced many Palestinian prisoners into desperate and dangerous hunger strikes.
One of the many ways in which Israel seeks to oppress and control the Palestinian population is by imprisoning those who lead the resistance to its occupation and settler colonialist project.
In Palestine, a Palestinian prisoner in an Israeli jail is referred to as "aseer", or captive, because he or she is not a criminal. What lands Palestinians in Israeli prisons are acts of resistance - from writing a poem about the struggle against the occupation to carrying out an attack against Israeli soldiers in the occupied Palestinian land. For the Israeli occupation, however, every act of Palestinian resistance or defiance is either classified as a form of "terrorism" or "incitement" that cannot be tolerated.
Currently, there are 5,450 prisoners in Israeli jails, 205 of whom are minors and 48 women. According to some estimates, since the Israeli occupation of East Jerusalem, the West Bank and Gaza in June 1967, over 800,000 Palestinians have been imprisoned in Israeli jails.
Needless to say, just as Israel seeks to keep the general Palestinian population in constant distress and oppression, it does so with Palestinian prisoners as well.
In recent months, the already horrific conditions in these jails deteriorated even further after the Israeli government announced that it was adopting rigid measures in prisons as a "deterrence" technique - a move that was seen as election PR in Israel.
"Every so often, infuriating pictures appear of cooking in the terrorist wings. This party is coming to an end," Israel's Public Security Minister, Gilad Erdan said in early January. His plans included placing limits on prisoners' use of water, banning food preparation in cells, and installing jamming devices to block the alleged use of smuggled mobile phones.
The last measure, in particular, caused outrage among prisoners, as such devices have been linked to severe headaches, fainting, and long-term ailments.
In late January, the Israel Prison Service (IPS) raided cells in Ofer Military Prison near Ramallah, in the occupied West Bank, which resulted in the injury of more than 140 Palestinian prisoners, some of whom were wounded by live ammunition.
In late March, Naqab, Ramon, Gilboa, Nafha and Eshel prisons were also raided, which led to many Palestinian prisoners being injured. Anger boiled over and on April 7, hundreds of Palestinian jailed in Israeli prisons launched a mass hunger strike which ended eight days later following a deal between the Palestinian prisoners and IPS.
Amid the pre-election noise in Israel, this news was widely ignored by international media, which focused instead on US President Donald Trump's Golan Heights declaration and Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu's promise to annex the West Bank.
And yet, for Palestinians, most of whom know the pain of having a relative in an Israeli prison, kept under conditions that violate the minimum requirements of international and humanitarian law, this was a major cause of concern and even anger. Palestinians know that behind the numbers and the Israeli propaganda labelling these men, women, and children as "terrorists", there are tragic human stories of suffering and perseverance.
One such story is that of Palestinian journalist Mohammed al-Qiq and husband of the coauthor of this article, Fayha Shalash.
Al-Qiq worked as a correspondent with the Saudi news network Al-Majd, covering the West Bank. His TV reports regarding the Israeli army's execution of alleged Palestinian attackers during what is known as Al-Quds Uprising received much attention throughout the Middle East and earned him much admiration among Palestinians.
Because of his work, he was deemed a "threat" by the Israeli state and was arrested in November 2015. This is his story.
'Bury me in my mother's grave'
On Saturday, November 21, 2015, a month and a half after the start of the Al-Quds Uprising, Israeli soldiers raided our house. They blasted through the front door of our humble home and rushed inside. It was the most terrifying scene one could ever imagine. Our one-year-old daughter, Lour, woke up and started crying. As Mohammed was being blindfolded and handcuffed, Lour kept hugging him and touching his cheeks.
Thankfully, Islam, who was three-years-old at the time, was still asleep. I am grateful for that because I didn't want him to see his father being taken away by soldiers in such a violent manner.
In the morning, I had to tell him his father had been taken away; as I tried to explain, his lips quivered and his face contorted in fear and a sadness that no child should ever experience.
This was the fourth time that Mohammed was arrested. His first arrest was in 2003 when he was held for a month; then in 2004, he was arrested again and held for 13 months and in 2008, he was sentenced by an Israeli court to 16 months in prison for his political activities and for his involvement in the Birzeit University Student Council.
Mohammed was then taken to the infamous Al-Jalameh Detention Center for interrogation. He was not allowed to see a lawyer until the 20th day of his detention. He was mentally and physically tortured and repeatedly asked to sign a false confession that he engaged in "media incitement", which he refused to do.
We learned that his detention was extended several times but had no other news from him whatsoever. Our requests for a family visit had been denied and the only thing we could do was wait and pray.
In early December, I came across an online media report that my husband had gone on a hunger strike. I immediately phoned the Prisoners Club, an NGO that was established in 1993 to support Palestinian political prisoners in Israeli prisons, and by mere chance managed to reach a lawyer called Saleh Ayoub who had seen Mohammed in court. He told me that my husband was tried in a closed court session, meaning that neither his family nor his legal counsel had been informed of the trial.
As Mohammed was taken back to his cell, he ran to Ayoub and managed to shout these words: "I am prisoner Mohammed al-Qiq. Tell my family and the media that I am on an open hunger strike. I am currently held at Al-Jalemeh."
When I heard this, I got very scared. We had never experienced this as a family. I didn't fully fathom the effect of such a decision, but I decided to support my husband in it.
For months, I pursued every human rights group that could help me obtain any information about Mohammed's mental and physical health. The Israelis had no evidence against him but continued to keep him, despite his deteriorating health. When he began throwing up blood and could no longer stand on his own, he was transferred to the Ramleh Prison Hospital.
No one was allowed to visit him in the prison hospital then, neither us nor the Red Cross. This is not unique to Mohammed's case, as Israel ensures the complete isolation of any prisoner who stages a hunger strike.
Mohammed became even more determined to carry on with his hunger strike when the Israeli court sentenced him to six months of "administrative detention", which meant that they could not support their accusations against my husband with any tangible evidence but still refused to free him. The administrative detention order was renewable for up to three years.
For me, it was a race against time. I had to make the world hear me, hear the story of my husband, so that enough pressure would be applied on Israel to release him. I feared that it might be too late, that Mohammed could die before that message resonated throughout Palestine and the world.
As his health continued to worsen, he was taken to the Afouleh Hospital where they tried to force-feed him. He refused. When they tried to feed him through an IV, he tore the needle out of his arm and threw it on the ground. I know my husband. For him, life without freedom is just not worth living.
A month into his hunger strike, Mohammed began throwing up yellow bile and blood. The pain in his gut and joints and the chronic headaches were unbearable. Despite all of this, they still tied him to his hospital bed. His right arm and both feet were secured to the various corners of the bed with heavy shackles. He was left like this the entire time.
I felt that Mohammed was going to die. I tried to explain to my son that his father refused food, to fight for his freedom. Islam kept saying, "When I grow up, I will hit the occupation." Lour missed her dad but didn't understand anything. As I fought for their dad's freedom, I had no other option but to be away from them for long periods of time. Our family was broken up.
On February 4, 2016, Mohammed entered his 77th day of the hunger strike. Under popular and international pressure, but mainly because of Mohammed's unbendable will, the Israeli occupation was forced to halt the "administrative detention" order. But for Mohammed that was just not enough.
With this move, The Israeli occupation wanted to send a message that the crisis has been averted in an attempt to mislead the media and the Palestinian people. But Mohammed would not have any of it. He wanted to be set free, so he carried on with his strike for weeks afterwards.
At that time, I was allowed to visit him but chose not to, as not to give the impression that everything was OK now, inadvertently playing into the hands of Israeli propaganda.
It was the most difficult decision I have ever had to make, staying away from the man I love, the father of my children. But I knew that if he saw me or the kids, he could become too emotional, or worse, he could physically break down even more. I remained committed to supporting him in his decision till the end.
At one point I thought to myself, Mohammed will never come back and he will die in prison.
He was so close to our children. He loved them with all of his heart and tried to spend as much time with them as he could. He would play with them, he would carry both, walking around the house or the neighbourhood. So as his death became a possibility, I wondered what I would say to them, how I would answer their questions as they grew up without a father, and how I would carry on without him.
As he reached the 80th day of his hunger strike, his body began to spasm. I learned later that these involuntary spasms were extremely painful. Every time they took place, he recited the Shahada - "There is no God but Allah and Mohammed is His Prophet" - in anticipation of his death.
Being aware of what seemed to be his inevitable death, Mohammed wrote a will of which I was unaware. The whole world collapsed before my eyes, as I heard the lines of his will being read on TV:
"I would like to see my wife and children, Islam and Lour before I die. I just want to be sure that they are OK. I also would like the final prayer on my body to be conducted inside the Durra Mosque. Please bury me in my mother's grave, so that she can hold me the way she did when I was still a child. If that is not feasible, please bury me as close to her as possible."
Throughout his hunger strike, the children's photos remained by Mohammed's hospital bed. "Do my kids remember me?" he used to ask whoever visited him.
In the end, his determination proved stronger than the injustice of his tormentors. On February 26, 2016, it was announced that an agreement had been reached between the Palestinian Prisoners Committee representing Mohammed and the Israeli prison administration. My husband was to be released on May 21 of the same year.
Mohammed received his freedom after 94 days on hunger strike. He proved to the world that he was not a terrorist as the Israelis claimed, and he was being punished for simply conveying the suffering of his people to the world. Because of his unrelenting resistance, Israeli military authorities were forced to withdraw all accusations against him.
Mohammed's imprisonment remains a painful memory, but also a great victory for Palestinians everywhere. Mohammed entered prison weighing 99 kilogrammes; by the time he ended his hunger strike, he was only 45kgs. His body was reduced to skin and bones. His athletic build had collapsed upon itself, but his spirit continued to soar as if the weaker he felt physically, the stronger his will had become.
When I came to visit him with our children one week after the end of his strike, I couldn't recognise him. I thought I had entered the wrong room, but when I drew closer, I saw his kind, loving eyes, so I held him and I cried.
Mohammed was released on the agreed upon date, but he was rearrested eight months later. He immediately began another hunger strike that lasted 33 days.
Today, Mohammed is free, but he still speaks about prison and our family still has not gotten over the trauma we have suffered. Islam is worried that his father could be arrested again at night. I tell him not to worry, but I am terrified of that possibility myself. I long for a day where I no longer worry that I may lose my husband.
I also revisit that harrowing experience every time a Palestinian prisoner stages another hunger strike. I know that it is not an easy decision to put your life on the line, to risk everything for what you believe in. The hunger strikes don't just take a heavy toll on the bodies and minds of the prisoners. Their families and communities also shoulder much of that heavy burden.
I feel for them all, and I pray to God that all of our prisoners are set free someday soon.
The Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ Affairs has reported, Tuesday, that Israeli soldiers have assaulted five detainees, holding hunger strike, and continued to deny their lawyers the right to visits with them.
The commission stated that the five detainees are holding hunger strike protesting their continued arbitrary Administrative Detention, without charges or trial.
It added that Israel has imposed a series of punitive measures against the detainees, including holding them in solitary confinement, repeatedly transferring them from one prison to another to prevent them from resting, in addition to the ongoing assaults against them.
The Commission warned of the serious consequences of the Israeli assaults and violations against the detainees, especially amidst the ongoing escalation against them, and the policies denying them access to adequate medical care.
The striking detainees are:
The commission stated that the five detainees are holding hunger strike protesting their continued arbitrary Administrative Detention, without charges or trial.
It added that Israel has imposed a series of punitive measures against the detainees, including holding them in solitary confinement, repeatedly transferring them from one prison to another to prevent them from resting, in addition to the ongoing assaults against them.
The Commission warned of the serious consequences of the Israeli assaults and violations against the detainees, especially amidst the ongoing escalation against them, and the policies denying them access to adequate medical care.
The striking detainees are:
- Husam ar-Rozza, 61, from Nablus; he started the hunger strike on March 19th, and is held in the Ramla Prison.
- Mohammad Tabanja, 38, from Nablus, he started the hunger strike on March 25th, and is held at the Negev Desert Detention camp.
- Khaled Farraj, 31, from Deheishe refugee camp in Bethlehem; he started the hunger strike on March 26th, and is held at the Negev Desert Detention camp.
- Hasan al-‘Oweiwi, 35, from Hebron; he started the hunger strike on April 2nd, and is held at the Negev Desert Detention camp.
- Odah al-Hroub, 32, from Hebron; he started the hunger strike on April 2nd, and is held at the Negev Desert Detention camp.
The health condition of the wounded female detainee Israa Jaabis, in Damon prison, is now critical , as the pain resulting from her injury is increasing day by day, due to medical negligence. She also suffers from psychological problems, the commission of detainees and ex-detainee affairs reported, Monday.
The commission explained that Jaabis suffers from burns across her body, causing her skin to feel permanently hot and painful, thus making her unable to use any type of fabric or covering on her body. So, she is in urgent need of a permanent change in the suit for the treatment of burns, to help overcome the pain, and practice her normal life.
She also needs to carry out more than eight surgical operations, including surgery, to separate the remaining fingers of her hands, which dissolved and attached to one other. She also needs to free herself of the mess of a diet via her nostrils, which causes her breathing problems. However, IPS does not care about her suffering, and has not provided the minimum therapeutic requirements for her serious and chronic condition.
The commission hold Israeli occupation the responsibilities of Ja’abs life , calling for urgent intervene to provide her the appropriate treatment.
Israa Ja’abis, 35, from Al-Mukaber mount southern occupied Jerusalem was arrested on October 2015 after the IOF opened fires towards her car at Azza’im military checkpoint. Opening fire towards her car led to the explosion of gas cylinder in her car, setting fire in the car and her body.
She sustained burns, which consumed 60% of her body, lost 8 of her fingers, and suffered deformities in face and back. She sentenced to 11 years imprisonment on charges of trying to carry out an attack and killing Israeli police.
The commission explained that Jaabis suffers from burns across her body, causing her skin to feel permanently hot and painful, thus making her unable to use any type of fabric or covering on her body. So, she is in urgent need of a permanent change in the suit for the treatment of burns, to help overcome the pain, and practice her normal life.
She also needs to carry out more than eight surgical operations, including surgery, to separate the remaining fingers of her hands, which dissolved and attached to one other. She also needs to free herself of the mess of a diet via her nostrils, which causes her breathing problems. However, IPS does not care about her suffering, and has not provided the minimum therapeutic requirements for her serious and chronic condition.
The commission hold Israeli occupation the responsibilities of Ja’abs life , calling for urgent intervene to provide her the appropriate treatment.
Israa Ja’abis, 35, from Al-Mukaber mount southern occupied Jerusalem was arrested on October 2015 after the IOF opened fires towards her car at Azza’im military checkpoint. Opening fire towards her car led to the explosion of gas cylinder in her car, setting fire in the car and her body.
She sustained burns, which consumed 60% of her body, lost 8 of her fingers, and suffered deformities in face and back. She sentenced to 11 years imprisonment on charges of trying to carry out an attack and killing Israeli police.
A Palestinian detainee has been held in isolation, in Israeli jails, for over two years, said the Detainees and Ex-Detainees Commission on Tuesday.
The Commission said, according to WAFA, that 23-year-old Yousef al-Shinnawi, from Haifa, in Israel, has been held in isolation, in Meggido prison, since March 2017, in very difficult living conditions.
The Commission said, in a statement, that Israeli Prison Services isolated Shinnawi from the rest of the political prisoners, after claiming that he was a danger to the security of Israel. He is serving a life sentence plus 20 years, on charges of resistance.
Shinnawi was put in isolation two months after his arrest. The isolation order is for six months and has been continuously renewed, ever since.
The current isolation order ends in September.
The Commission said, according to WAFA, that 23-year-old Yousef al-Shinnawi, from Haifa, in Israel, has been held in isolation, in Meggido prison, since March 2017, in very difficult living conditions.
The Commission said, in a statement, that Israeli Prison Services isolated Shinnawi from the rest of the political prisoners, after claiming that he was a danger to the security of Israel. He is serving a life sentence plus 20 years, on charges of resistance.
Shinnawi was put in isolation two months after his arrest. The isolation order is for six months and has been continuously renewed, ever since.
The current isolation order ends in September.
Dozens of Israeli settlers on Tuesday morning broke into al-Aqsa Mosque under police guard, while restrictions were tightened on the Palestinian worshipers entering the site.
The Israeli police scrutinized the Palestinian worshipers' IDs, detained a number of them outside the Mosque, and ordered al-Aqsa guards to step away from al-Silsila Gate.
The Israeli settlers conducted provocative tours and performed Talmudic rituals inside al-Aqsa compound while escorted by a large police force, eyewitnesses said.
Settler break-ins into al-Aqsa Mosque have been intensified since the beginning of the week for the Passover holiday.
The Israeli police scrutinized the Palestinian worshipers' IDs, detained a number of them outside the Mosque, and ordered al-Aqsa guards to step away from al-Silsila Gate.
The Israeli settlers conducted provocative tours and performed Talmudic rituals inside al-Aqsa compound while escorted by a large police force, eyewitnesses said.
Settler break-ins into al-Aqsa Mosque have been intensified since the beginning of the week for the Passover holiday.
The Israeli authorities decided to release Palestinian prisoner Najeh Tarayra, on Tuesday, after he finished his 17-year-sentence in Israeli prisons.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said that Tarayra, from the Bani Naim town in the southern occupied West Bank district of Hebron, was previously detained in 1990 and had spent six years in Israeli prisons before his last detention in 2002.
Tarayara would be released from the Negev jail.
According to prisoners rights group Addameer, there are 5,450 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli prisons.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said that Tarayra, from the Bani Naim town in the southern occupied West Bank district of Hebron, was previously detained in 1990 and had spent six years in Israeli prisons before his last detention in 2002.
Tarayara would be released from the Negev jail.
According to prisoners rights group Addameer, there are 5,450 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli prisons.
Two Palestinian prisoners entered their 17th year inside Israeli prisons, on Tuesday.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said that prisoner Izzat Amin Turkman from the Bir al-Basha village in the northern occupied West Bank district of Jenin entered his 17th year in Israeli prisons, pointing out that the Israeli Prisons Services (IPS) have banned Turkman from receiving family visits for years as an arbitrary punishment.
Turkman was sentenced to a lifetime of prison.
PPS added that prisoner Khalid Khudeish from the Balata refugee camp in the northern West Bank city of Nablus also entered his 17th year in Israeli prisons out of his two lifetime and 50 years of prison sentences.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said that prisoner Izzat Amin Turkman from the Bir al-Basha village in the northern occupied West Bank district of Jenin entered his 17th year in Israeli prisons, pointing out that the Israeli Prisons Services (IPS) have banned Turkman from receiving family visits for years as an arbitrary punishment.
Turkman was sentenced to a lifetime of prison.
PPS added that prisoner Khalid Khudeish from the Balata refugee camp in the northern West Bank city of Nablus also entered his 17th year in Israeli prisons out of his two lifetime and 50 years of prison sentences.
Israeli forces detained at least 18 Palestinians, including a minor, across the occupied West Bank on predawn Tuesday.
Palestine Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said that Israeli forces detained four Palestinians in the southern West Bank district of Hebron. They were identified as Hassan Ziyad Awad, Khader Muhammad al-Haroub, Hassan Yasri al-Haroub, and Hamza Yousef Hamdan.
In the southern West Bank district of Bethlehem, another five Palestinians were detained. They were identified Louay Ibrahim Abu Mufreh, 21, Majdi Naij Abu Mufreh, 23, Mujahed Yousef Taqatqa, 16, Qusai Khaled Abu Salem, 24, Omar Hassan Salah, 34.
In the central West Bank district of Ramallah, two Palestinians were detained. PPs identified them as Sameh Fouad Lidadweh and Ahmad Nasser Abu Ali.
In the central West Bank district of Jericho, one Palestinian was detained and identified as Adi Faeq Tahan.
In the northern West Bank district of Salfit, PPS said that another two Palestinians were detained. They were identified as Hamza Yacoub Radad and Wael Mahmoud Shaqir.
In the northern West Bank district of Jenin, Israeli forces detained four Palestinians. PPS identified as Muataz Abu Maala, al-Hareth Abu Maala, Alaa Kamil, and Aysar Hussam al-Arqawi.
According to prisoners rights group Addameer, there are 5,450 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli prisons, including 48 female prisoners, and 205 minors, 32 of whom under 16 years old.
IOF arrests 17 Palestinians in West Bank campaigns
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Tuesday kidnapped 17 Palestinian citizens during large-scale sweeps in the West Bank.
Local sources reported that the IOF raided dozens of Palestinian homes in Bethlehem, al-Khalil, Salfit, Ramallah, and Jenin, wreaked havoc on them, and interrogated their residents for hours.
The sources said that 16 Palestinians were arrested during the raids, including ex-prisoners and prominent leaders.
Meanwhile in Jericho, violent clashes broke out at daybreak when the IOF stormed the city and kidnapped a Palestinian youth from his home.
Other confrontations flared up in Azzun town in Qalqilya where the IOF soldiers fired tear gas bombs and Palestinian citizens responded by throwing stones.
Palestine Prisoner’s Society (PPS) said that Israeli forces detained four Palestinians in the southern West Bank district of Hebron. They were identified as Hassan Ziyad Awad, Khader Muhammad al-Haroub, Hassan Yasri al-Haroub, and Hamza Yousef Hamdan.
In the southern West Bank district of Bethlehem, another five Palestinians were detained. They were identified Louay Ibrahim Abu Mufreh, 21, Majdi Naij Abu Mufreh, 23, Mujahed Yousef Taqatqa, 16, Qusai Khaled Abu Salem, 24, Omar Hassan Salah, 34.
In the central West Bank district of Ramallah, two Palestinians were detained. PPs identified them as Sameh Fouad Lidadweh and Ahmad Nasser Abu Ali.
In the central West Bank district of Jericho, one Palestinian was detained and identified as Adi Faeq Tahan.
In the northern West Bank district of Salfit, PPS said that another two Palestinians were detained. They were identified as Hamza Yacoub Radad and Wael Mahmoud Shaqir.
In the northern West Bank district of Jenin, Israeli forces detained four Palestinians. PPS identified as Muataz Abu Maala, al-Hareth Abu Maala, Alaa Kamil, and Aysar Hussam al-Arqawi.
According to prisoners rights group Addameer, there are 5,450 Palestinian prisoners being held in Israeli prisons, including 48 female prisoners, and 205 minors, 32 of whom under 16 years old.
IOF arrests 17 Palestinians in West Bank campaigns
The Israeli occupation forces (IOF) at dawn Tuesday kidnapped 17 Palestinian citizens during large-scale sweeps in the West Bank.
Local sources reported that the IOF raided dozens of Palestinian homes in Bethlehem, al-Khalil, Salfit, Ramallah, and Jenin, wreaked havoc on them, and interrogated their residents for hours.
The sources said that 16 Palestinians were arrested during the raids, including ex-prisoners and prominent leaders.
Meanwhile in Jericho, violent clashes broke out at daybreak when the IOF stormed the city and kidnapped a Palestinian youth from his home.
Other confrontations flared up in Azzun town in Qalqilya where the IOF soldiers fired tear gas bombs and Palestinian citizens responded by throwing stones.
The Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs Commission on Monday said that the injuries of the Palestinian prisoner Israa Ja'abis are exacerbating due to deliberate medical neglect.
The commission said that Ja'abis is suffering from severe burns and her body needs special kinds of fabrics and covers that should be changed regularly.
The commission affirmed that Ja'abis, who is in need of more than 8 urgent surgeries, is suffering greatly both physically and psychologically, and that the Israeli Prison Service deliberately neglects her demands and complaints.
It stressed that Ja'abis is subjected to systematic medical neglect and left to face her pain alone, holding Israel responsible for her life and calling for immediate medical intervention to alleviate her suffering.
The Israeli occupation forces arrested Israa Ja'abis, 35, in 2015 after she was severely injured when a gas cylinder used in cooking exploded in the back seat of her car a few meters away from an Israeli military checkpoint.
Ja'abis was detained and transferred to Israeli jails without receiving proper treatment despite the fact that 60% of her body was burned.
An Israeli court accused her of attempting to kill Israeli soldiers and sentenced her to 11 years in prison.
The commission said that Ja'abis is suffering from severe burns and her body needs special kinds of fabrics and covers that should be changed regularly.
The commission affirmed that Ja'abis, who is in need of more than 8 urgent surgeries, is suffering greatly both physically and psychologically, and that the Israeli Prison Service deliberately neglects her demands and complaints.
It stressed that Ja'abis is subjected to systematic medical neglect and left to face her pain alone, holding Israel responsible for her life and calling for immediate medical intervention to alleviate her suffering.
The Israeli occupation forces arrested Israa Ja'abis, 35, in 2015 after she was severely injured when a gas cylinder used in cooking exploded in the back seat of her car a few meters away from an Israeli military checkpoint.
Ja'abis was detained and transferred to Israeli jails without receiving proper treatment despite the fact that 60% of her body was burned.
An Israeli court accused her of attempting to kill Israeli soldiers and sentenced her to 11 years in prison.
