A Thirteen Year Old Girl in Israeli Jail

Kawther Salam

Israeli soldiers detained a thirteen-year- old girl from her home in the Old City of Hebron on Tuesday the 23rd of March.  At about 5:45 PM, CPTers followed four soldiers as they entered the girl’s home and ordered the entire family to the roof.  Once on the roof, a fifth soldier from a permanent post on a neighboring Israeli settler home ordered the family’s three teenage daughters to one side of the roof.  The soldier singled out the thirteen-year- old and accused her of throwing a stone.  The girl’s mother protested saying that minutes before she had notified this soldier about settlers throwing stones at her as she hung her laundry and that he had seen settlers throwing stones.  She was dumbfounded that the soldier’s response was to call another unit of soldiers to detain her daughter.

Two more units of soldiers arrived at the house before escorting the girl out of her home.  The girl’s aunt attempted to prevent the soldiers from taking the girl by linking arms with her and refusing to let go.  After a five-minute stand off, soldiers stated that the aunt could accompany the girl and the group of eighteen soldiers escorted them both away to a military jeep.  Israeli police arrived, arrested the girl and took her and her aunt to a police station for questioning and fingerprints. The girl was released later that evening.