Israeli soldiers arrest, abuse Palestinian student in Hebron: Testimony

ANKARA

Maryam Salhab, a 21-year-old pharmaceutical student, endured torture and abuse while in Israeli detention after her arrest by Israeli soldiers.

Salhab highlighted the severe mistreatment and abuse she faced during her detention in testimony to the Israeli human rights organization, B’Tselem, on Dec 10. It raised serious concerns about the conditions and conduct of Israeli military operations in the region.

The incident occurred at her family home when 11 soldiers stormed the residence at midnight on Oct. 26, 2023.

Salhab recounted how soldiers, some masked, entered the home, brandished weapons and ordered her family to remain still.

“I was wearing light half-sleeve pajamas and didn’t have time to change, so I put on my prayer clothes quickly to cover my hair,” said Salhab.

The soldiers searched the apartment for her older brother, who was not at home.

An officer threatened to arrest her and her other brothers in retaliation for Hamas’s actions in southern Israel.

The soldiers separated Salhab, her mother and sister from her father, who was subjected to aggressive questioning and threats.

After being taken away, Salhab said: “They made me lie face down on the ground, with my face in the dirt. Then they tied my feet with zip ties, pulled very tightly together. Two soldiers trod on my back. I felt that I couldn’t breathe.”

Salhab was blindfolded, handcuffed, and transported to an unknown camp where she was beaten and abused.

“A soldier punched me hard on the head. He swore at me and called me ISIS,” said Salhab.

Salhab was later taken to the Ofer Prison, where she endured poor conditions, including inadequate food and harsh treatment.

Despite extreme thirst and pain from the handcuffs, her requests for basic needs were met with abuse.

“I was too tired to stand, so I leaned against the wall. I couldn’t believe what was happening to me. We were hungry and thirsty, but the guards refused to bring us food and water,” she said. “The guards brought us three small containers of sour cream and a few pieces of bread, which was barely enough. After we ate that, they didn’t bring us any more food until the next day at 3 p.m., when they gave us some bulgur. It tasted awful and we couldn’t eat it.”

On Oct. 30, Salhab and other detainees were strip-searched and transferred to the Damun Prison.

Conditions were overcrowded and unsanitary, with limited access to food and drink.

Following weeks of harsh treatment, Salhab was informed of a potential release. Before her release, she was strip-searched and subjected to further threats.

Salhab was released Nov 29 under a Palestinian-Israeli prisoner exchange deal.

Several reports emerged of severe abuses by Israeli soldiers against Palestinian detainees since the start of Israel’s offensive on Gaza.

The latest report emerged this week when several Israeli media outlets showed a video of Israeli soldiers allegedly raping a Palestinian detainee at the Sde Teiman Prison in the Negev desert in southern Israel.

Late last month, 10 soldiers were arrested for the alleged rape of a Palestinian detained at the detention center, with three of them being released Sunday after new evidence emerged.

Israel’s Supreme Court is considering a petition by Israeli human rights organizations regarding the treatment of Palestinian detainees at the prison, where detainees from Gaza face torture and medical neglect.

Israeli authorities often claim to investigate such incidents, but tangible results are rarely seen.

* Writing by Ikram Kouachi

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