I woke up at around 1:30 a.m. to the sound of loud banging at the door to our apartment building. At first I thought I was dreaming but when I looked out the window I saw the neighbourhood was full of Israeli soldiers. I shouted down to the soldiers and told them to wait until we could come downstairs to open the door.

 

As soon as my brother-in-law opened the door seven soldiers stormed into the stairwell. First they went to my husband’s parents’ apartment. Then they came to our apartment.

 

As soon as they entered our apartment they locked my young daughters in the living room. My youngest, who is 9-years-old, was terrified. She was in such shock that she couldn’t go to school for a whole week.

 

Then the soldiers went into our 16-year-old son’s bedroom and searched it. The soldiers then tied our son’s hands and took him outside without giving us any documentation. They just told us he was suspected of throwing stones.

 

The house without our son is a sad place. I cried a lot, especially during Ramadan, when I missed him most. I found it very hard to sleep and a doctor gave me some pills to help me fall asleep. Our refugee camp is a scary place at night especially when soldiers conduct house-to-house searches and raids.

 

Our son was released from prison about five months after his arrest but he is a different boy. He is short-tempered and keeps changing his mind all the time. One day he goes to school and the next day he says he wants to drop out and start work. It is such a struggle to wake him up in the morning and get him ready for school. Each day he comes up with a different excuse; one day it is back pain, the next day it is a headache. Next year he has to sit for his high school exam and I am very worried about him.

 

Whenever our son now sees Israeli soldiers in our camp he runs home and hides. He spends hours on his computer and does not spend enough time with his friends.