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Home » Parents »

Testimony: Khulud N.

 

Name: Khulud N.
Age: 36
Date: 25 September 2017
Location: Jayyus, West Bank
Event: Night raid / child arrest

On 25 September 2017, a 15-year-old minor from Jayyus was arrested by Israeli soldiers from home at 1:30 a.m. His mother describes the night raid on the family home and the arrest of her son.

I was asleep when I heard loud banging at around 1:30 a.m. All my children woke up too. I got out of bed and realised that Israeli soldiers were banging the back door to my in-laws’ home downstairs. I looked out the window and saw lots of soldiers surrounding our building, maybe 40 or more. 
 
Shortly afterwards about 10 soldiers came to our home via the back door. I confronted the commander and told him there were small children in the house. The commander told me to move back and then told me he wanted to arrest our 15-year-old son. 
 
The commander ordered our son back into his bedroom and started to search it. The soldiers threw his clothes on the floor and removed the mattress off the bed. My heart was pumping fast as I watched. Then the commander asked for my identity card but I was reluctant to go and get it and leave my son alone with the soldiers in his bedroom. 
 
Then the soldiers followed me upstairs as I went to get my identity card. On the way back they stopped by my younger son’s bedroom and tried to remove his duvet. I stopped them because my younger son was still asleep and he would be terrified if he woke up to see Israeli soldiers in his bedroom. He is just 3-years-old.
 
Then the soldiers put me in the living room as they took our older son away. They did not let me say goodbye to him. I tried to leave the living room but I was pushed back aggressively. The soldiers remained inside our house for about an hour-and-a-half. When they left I broke into tears.
 
This is not the first time Israeli soldiers have raided our home but this last raid made me sick. I had an asthma attack the following day and had to be rushed to hospital. I also find it hard to sleep well and I have lost my appetite. I constantly think of my son in prison and refuse to cook the dishes he likes the most. I hardly have hardly left the house for months. 
 
Our village suffers from Israeli military night raids and arrests because the Wall was built on our land. My family lost a lot of agricultural land when the Wall was built and we need special permits to access our Olive trees during harvest. I cannot see an end to this cycle and the lives of generations have been affected.