I was with a friend of mine walking in an area called Rabah at around 2:00 p.m. There were no clashes in the area at the time. Suddenly a group of Israeli soldiers appeared and started to chase us while shooting in the air. I was scared and immediately lifted my hands up to signal my surrender.

 

One of the soldiers grabbed me by the neck and another one started to slap and kick me. They immediately tied my hands to the back with one plastic tie. The tie was very tight. They also blindfolded me and made me sit on the ground for about 15 minutes. I was then put in the back of a jeep where I sat on the metal floor. The jeep drove for about 30 minutes and then stopped at the police station inside Kiryat Arba settlement.

 

I was taken to a shipping container where I sat on the floor and soldiers started to laugh and make fun of me and my friend. They swore at us saying things like "fuck your mother" and "fuck your sister". The also called me "a son of a whore". I asked to drink some water. They led me while still blindfolded and they deliberately made me trip. I fell to the ground more than once. They kicked me along the way. I drank some water and I was then returned to the shipping container.

 

About 15 minutes later a soldier took me to a nearby room where he kicked and slapped me. I remained in the room until around 6:00 p.m. I was then put back in the jeep where I sat on the floor again.

 

The jeep drove for about 30 minutes to the settlement of Etzion. At Etzion I was put in a shipping container where I sat on the floor. A soldier, who spoke fluent Arabic, came in and accused me of steeling metal and bullets from the industrial zone at the settlement near my village. I denied the accusation and told him this was not true. The soldier became angry and held me from the neck and punched me in the stomach. He was a big fat guy. He also beat me with the back of his gun. He did not inform me of any rights. About 90 minutes later I was taken to the interrogation room.

 

The interrogator asked me for my name and asked for my father’s phone number. He then told me I had the right to remain silent and the right to consult with a lawyer. I told him I was sure my father would hire a lawyer for me. There was an interpreter present because the interrogator didn’t speak Arabic. The interrogator removed the blindfold and replaced the plastic tie with handcuffs. He also shackled me. He had a tape recorder in the room.

 

The interrogator accused me of setting fire to a car and stealing bullets. I told him this was not true and asked him to show me the evidence. When I said this he became angry and slapped me and told me I had to confess. He said if I didn’t confess he was going to ask soldiers to beat me and crack my ribs. I was so scared that I decided to confess. I confessed to collecting bullets from the firing zone nearby. The interrogation lasted for about 90 minutes.

 

The interrogator printed out my statement in Hebrew and asked me to sign it and I did without understanding what it said. He then took my picture and my fingerprints and took me to another room where I sat on the floor for about three hours. I was still handcuffed and shackled.

 

At some point the interrogator came into the room, turned a computer on and asked me to show him our house on an aerial map on his screen. He also asked me for names of boys who throw stones from our village and other general questions. I was then taken outside where I sat on the ground in the rain for about 30 minutes. I was then strip searched and taken to a cell with other boys. They removed the handcuffs and the shackles in the cell and I was given some food and water.

 

I stayed in Etzion for two days before I was transferred to Ofer prison, near Jerusalem. At Ofer I was strip searched again and then I was put in the juvenile section. I had two military court hearings at the court in Ofer which my parents attended and I was allowed to speak to them. A lawyer was also in court.

 

On the second hearing I waited from 8:00 a.m. until around 7:00 p.m. and then I was told they were going to release me. My parents had to pay a fine of NIS 1,000. I left prison at around 11:00 p.m. on 11 February 2016, and I arrived home with my father just after midnight.