The Palestine Chronicle Testimony: The Story of Mohammed Al-Halabi

Mohammed al-Halabi, a humanitarian aid worker detained by Israel without evidence, has been released under the Al-Aqsa Flooed deal. (Image: Palestine Chronicle)

By Palestine Chronicle Staff  

Mohammed al-Halabi, a humanitarian aid worker detained by Israel without evidence, has been released—but years of torture and starvation have left him unrecognizable.

Mohammed al-Halabi, the former Director of World Vision in Gaza, was released on Saturday under the ceasefire deal between the Palestinian Resistance and the Israeli government, after years in Israeli detention.

On June 15, 2016, Mohammed was detained by Israeli occupation forces at the Beit Hanoun (Eretz) Crossing which separates besieged Gaza from Israel, in a joint operation carried out by the Shin Bet security service, the Israeli army and Israeli police.

Since then, many have speculated that the real motives behind Mohammed’s detention were to sever the last line of international support that has allowed Gaza to survive, despite the siege and war.

Detained despite a lack of evidence, he endured brutal torture and inhumane conditions.

In 2019, The Palestine Chronicle spoke with Khalil al-Halabi, the father of Mohammed al-Halabi, about his son’s unjust imprisonment and the horrific torture he endured in Israeli detention.

For years, Khalil al-Halabi shared with us the devastating reality of Mohammed’s captivity—his suffering, the inhumane conditions, and the blatant lack of evidence against him.

Now, following his release in 2024, Mohammed is unrecognizable due to extreme weight loss, a testament to the abuse he endured.

Read his father’s full testimony from 2019:

My Son Is a Humanitarian Hero

Mohammed’s ordeal began on June 15, 2016, at the Beit Hanoun (Eretz) Crossing. Israeli occupation soldiers arrested him on his way back from a World Vision meeting in Jerusalem. We only learned of his detention three days later. We were also told that he was being held in Askalan Prison.

My son experienced horrific torture while in Asqalan (Ashkelon). His interrogators accused him of funneling money to the resistance in Gaza. Absurdly, the sums of money he was accused of channeling to these Gaza groups exceeded the total budget of the Charity in the Strip. The whole story makes no sense.

Mohammed spent 52 days under constant and harrowing interrogation. From the very first day of detention, the Israeli intelligence officers placed a filthy bag over his head and hanged him from the ceiling for prolonged periods. They denied him sleep, and whenever they were done with their terrible deeds, they would throw him into an incredibly tiny cell, barely large enough for one person to sit down, let alone sleep. He would be left there without a mattress and a cover.

He was physically assaulted on numerous occasions. Each time, they would follow the same brutal routine: they slapped him, kicked him, especially in his genitals, and then strangled him until he felt that he was about to die. They would stop and resume a short while later. At times, they placed him in a small room and played deafening music until the pain in his ears became unbearable. As a result, he lost 40 percent of his hearing. In the summer, they would strip him naked, then blast him with flashes of warm air. They would repeat the same process in the winter, but with cold air, instead.

Mohammed’s lawyer conveyed all of this to us in the most graphic details. My heart is broken for my son. All he was doing was trying to help needy people. He often spoke of empowering the oppressed and disadvantaged in Gaza and, almost every day; he shared with me stories of the difference World Vision’s work was making in the life of ordinary people.

His time in prison and all the physical torture he was forced to endure have left him quite ill. Just the fact that they kept slamming him against the wall while shaking him repeatedly and violently, made him faint several times. But Israeli authorities refuse to let him see a doctor.

After they concluded their long and torturous interrogations, they transferred him to Nafha Prison, where he was paraded before a military court in Bir Al-Saba’. At the time of writing these words, my son has endured 115 official court sessions.

The occupation wants Mohammed to admit to things he has not done. He said as much to the lawyer, that, no matter what they did to him, he will not assume responsibility for acts he did not commit. Despite the lies of the Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs that Mohammed has admitted to diverting money to the resistance, my son officially pleaded not guilty to all charges against him in a district court trial in Bir Al-Saba’ on February 2, 2017.

However, everyone understands that the real reason behind all of this is that Israel wants to stop World Vision from operating in Gaza, a place that Israel wants to remain isolated, broken and pushed to its knees.

My son is an exceptional human being who has achieved so much in his young life, for his family and his people. He was featured in a UN campaign in 2014 as being one of the world’s “humanitarian heroes”. World Vision itself awarded him “Humanitarian of the Year” for his tireless efforts to aid Gaza under these harsh conditions.

VIDEO: ‘These Chains Will Be Broken’: Delving into the Heart of Palestinian Resistance

Aside from all the work that Mohammed did to help the weakest sector in Gaza society, much of his efforts focused on helping sick people, especially cancer patients who were denied access to proper health care and, often, life-saving medicines. My son also focused much of his work on aiding the children who suffered numerous emotional and psychological scars as a result of the devastating Israeli wars.

Everyone knew my son, loved and respected him for the work he was doing, and all internal investigations, whether the one conducted by World Vision itself or by the Australian government, have absolved Mohammed from doing anything that runs contrary to the principles of charity work. But Israel refuses to set him free.

Now, Mohammed has been transferred, once again, this time to Rimon Prison, where he is being held under extremely harsh conditions, still experiencing all sorts of torture and degradation. Israel has no evidence to indict my son. Thus, it resorts to physically and psychologically tormenting him to get exactly what it wants to hear.

By charging Mohammed, the Israeli government intends to indict all international charities so that they suffocate Gaza and its heroic people entirely.

We miss Mohammed. Gaza misses Mohammed. Every single day I try to do all I can to raise awareness of my son’s cause. Thinking of him being mistreated in so demeaning a way eats me up on the inside. I want to hold him close to my chest and tell him how proud I am for all he has done for Gaza and the Palestinian people.

(The Palestine Chronicle)

(The Palestine Chronicle is a registered 501(c)3 organization, thus, all donations are tax deductible.)
Our Vision For Liberation: Engaged Palestinian Leaders & Intellectuals Speak Out

Be the first to comment

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published.


*