By Palestine Chronicle Staff
B’Tselem, The Israeli Information Centre for Human Rights in the Occupied Territories, released a report on Wednesday, stating that Israeli forces had detained 13-year-old Palestinian child Baraa ‘Enayeh from his family house in the village of Azzun in the West Bank last month, and later released him. The organisation called the act “illegal” and noted that the arrest of this Palestinian minor represents the “unchecked powers” of Israeli soldiers.
In his testimony to B’Tselem, Ihaab ‘Enayeh, the child’s father said, “I told the officer that my son is a young boy and that he’s frightened. I asked them to let me stay with him until the interrogation was over and take him home. The officer refused and led my 13-year-old son a hundred meters away from our house, where he handcuffed and blindfolded him. Then the soldiers put him in a jeep and headed east.”
The Israeli soldiers returned later and ordered Sanaa ‘Enayeh, a family member, to bring all kids to the second floor, where the living room is. Speaking of this incidence, Sanaa told B’Tselem, “The soldiers frightened me very much and I was worried about my son. We were constantly afraid that the soldiers would come back to the house. Ihab stayed that day at his sister’s home in the village because he feared he would be arrested, and returned only the next day.”
Israeli soldiers detain 13-yr-old Palestinian, handcuffed and blindfolded & later abandon him 1.5 km away after dark https://t.co/8mbJ6yvzbW pic.twitter.com/XEn4BkYQ72
— B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم (@btselem) March 29, 2017
According to B’Tselem, “After driving for five to ten minutes, the military jeep reached the gate of the Ma’aleh Shomron settlement, which lies east of ‘Azzun, and the soldiers took Baraa out of the jeep.”
In his testimony to the Israeli organisation, Baraa said: “…they put me back on the jeep and let me off at the junction leading to the settlement, near Route 55 and the old blocked road, east of ‘Azzun. They took the cable ties off my hands and told me to go home. The junction is almost a kilometer and a half from our house. I started walking along the road, which was spooky in the dark. I was afraid that wild boars would come out, or that I would run into settlers who might attack me.”
Israeli soldiers drag 8-year-old Palestinian around #Hebron for an hour+, searching for stone-throwers. Full story: https://t.co/vOKOPEesOd pic.twitter.com/OJEpQaKYlH
— B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم (@btselem) March 24, 2017
B’Tselem described Israeli soldiers and their arrest of Palestinian children as being illegal and unjustified. “The grave conduct of the soldiers is illegal. Under the circumstances, there was no basis for ‘reasonable suspicion of an offense’ that could have justified detaining Baraa and his father..”
B’Tselem concluded by saying, “there can be no justification for such thuggish behavior, which reflects the unchecked power and authority given to soldiers, and the backing they receive. No one will have to answer for the harm to Baraa and his family. This is what life looks under occupation.”
(PalestineChronicle.com)
