I was arrested on the main street at around 8:30 p.m. The area was calm and there were no clashes with Israeli soldiers at the time. A group of 10 soldiers laid an ambush for the boys who were there. As soon as the soldiers grabbed me they started to beat me hard all over my body. They also swore at me and called my mother and sisters "whores". 

 

One of the soldiers pushed me to the ground and tied my hands behind my back with two plastic ties. The ties were connected to each other like a chain and they were tight and painful. My hands swelled and blood flow was restricted. Another soldier blindfolded me while the others continued to kick and beat me all over my body. They aimed on my knee and I was in severe pain.

 

Then the soldiers took me to the back of a jeep and made me sit in the corner on the metal floor. The soldiers continued to beat me inside the jeep. I was taken to the nearby military base where I arrived at around 10:00 p.m. I was taken to a shipping container.  I was left there for about 30 minutes. During this time the soldiers continued to beat me; they pushed my head down in a painful position. 

 

After about 30 minutes some soldiers led me on foot for about five minutes while pushing my head down all the way. I was thrown on some outdoor stairs and left until the morning. I could not stretch my self and could not sleep at all. All this time I was not given anything to eat ore drink. It was Ramadan, and when I heard the dawn call to prayer I called the soldiers to give me some water to break my fast with. A female soldier heard me shout but she did not understand what I was saying. To explain to her I said “Allah Akbar” to try to explain that it was the call to prayer and I needed some water. She was terrified when she heard Allah Akbar and thought I was going to kill her. She called three other soldiers who grabbed me by my arms and legs and asked me what I wanted. Luckily, one of them spoke Arabic. He told me never again to say Allah Akbar in front of soldiers.

 

Later that morning I was taken to the police station in the settlement of Ma’aleh Adumim, near Jerusalem. I was left in a small cell. At around 10:00 a.m. I was taken for interrogation.

 

The interrogator removed the blindfold and changed the plastic ties into metal ones. He handcuffed me to the front. By this time my hands were very painful and badly swollen. The interrogator was in civilian clothes. He spoke good Arabic; I think he was Druse. He immediately phoned a lawyer for me. I was taken to another room when I spoke to the lawyer and the interrogator could not listen. The lawyer told me to deny the accusations. He told me not to confess to throwing stones or Molotov cocktails. He spoke to me for about two minutes.

 

After I spoke to the lawyer the interrogator told me I had the right to remain silent. When I kept silent during the interrogation he told me it was better for me to speak and tell him everything. He told me soldiers had testified against me and told him I had thrown stones and Molotov cocktail at a settler bus. I denied the accusation. He accused me of lying to him and wanted me to confess. 

 

I was questioned for about an hour. The interrogator tried to take information from me about other boys but I was careful and did not give any information. He did not ask me to sign any documents but he showed me an electronic device with a text in Hebrew. He translated it for me and told me it said I had spoken to a lawyer and that I was informed of my right to silence. It also said I had spoken to my family which was not true. He wanted me to sign on the device. At first, I refused but then I signed. 

 

After the interrogation I was given a medical examination. I had still not eaten. I was handcuffed and blindfolded and left on the side walk for about two hours. The soldiers who passed by slapped and kicked me. It was shocking to be slapped while I was blindfolded. Then I was taken to Ofer prison, near Jerusalem. 

 

On arrival at Ofer I was searched with my clothes on and then I was put in a small room. I kept asking for food until finally, at around 1:00 a.m. I was given some food. Then I was taken to the minors’ section.

 

Later that morning I was taken to the military court. My brother attended. My detention was extended for a week. The following day I was taken for another interrogation. It was the same interrogator. I was allowed to speak to a lawyer who told me not to confess. The interrogator left the room during the phone call. The interrogator did not inform me of my right to silence. 

 

The interrogator showed me a bottle which had petrol in it and claimed my fingerprints were on the bottle. He told me soldiers photographed me and saw me trying to throw a Molotov cocktail. Then he accused me of throwing 6-7 stones at a settler bus. I denied the accusation. Then he accused me of throwing a Molotov cocktail. I denied the accusation and told him I was going home from work when the soldiers arrested me by mistake.  He told me I was a liar and that I harmed the state of Israel and that the soldiers found petrol on me. Then he told me he was going to send my file to the prosecutor. At the end he asked me to sign on an electronic device but I refused to sign. 

 

In all I had seven military court hearings. I was released in the prisoners’ exchange deal before the end of the court process. 

 

After 7 October 2023, conditions in the prison became very harsh. The prison authorities did not allow the older prisoners to represent us. We suffered from over crowdedness. Instead of five boys in one cell we became 11. Three of us had to sleep on the floor. They took away the radio and television and all our spare clothes. They closed the Cantina and we did not leave us any shampoo or spoons or forks. They also took away the hot plate. 

 

The food was not enough; breakfast was sour cream and bread. Eleven boys had to share half a loaf of sliced bread all day. They cut off hot water and stopped family visits and telephone calls. I was always hungry and cold. They left us with one blanket and those who were arrested after the war were only given sheets. Luckily, my parents visited me twice before the war. The prison guards were aggressive and wanted to provoke us but we were cautious and tried to keep our morale up. 

 

On the day when I was released, at around 12:30 p.m., a group of prison officials came into our cell. I thought it was the usual unit who often searched the cell and punished us. I was in my slippers because they took away my shoes. They called me and one other boy whom they scared by threatening to beat him. When I asked where they were taking me they told me they were taking me for an interrogation. They took me to a room where they made me change into grey pajamas. One of the guards held me by the neck and pushed my head down. I was surrounded by about 10 guards and a photographer. They took me to another room where I was thoroughly searched. I was also given a quick medical examination. 

 

Then I was taken for a meeting with the Israeli intelligence officer in charge of my area. He asked me if I knew why I was in his office. I told him I did not know. Then he told me that Hamas had started a war and that Hamas is weak and Israel is strong. Then he told me I was going to be released in a deal with Hamas in return for some Israeli hostages. I was thrilled and he noticed it. Then he told me not to be too excited, otherwise he was going to beat me up. He told me I was not allowed to celebrate my release and told me I had to think of my future, to get married and not think of anything else. He threatened if I misbehaved he was going to lock me up in administrative detention indefinitely.

 

Then I was taken into a waiting room where representatives from the Red Cross met with me and the other detainees who were released on the same day. They asked us about prison conditions after the war. Then they took our names and telephone numbers of our families. 

 

My parents knew about my release three days earlier. They waited for me in Ramallah from 4:00 p.m. until around 4:00 a.m. which is when I was released. There were lots of family members, all very happy, but it was chaotic. People and buses blocking the streets and it took a while before my parents found me. My mother was screaming from happiness when she saw me; she could not believe her eyes. She was worried about me since 7 October because she heard nothing from me.

 

I was released on 25 November 2023; I arrived home in the early hours of the morning. Before I was arrested I was studying at the YMCA, but I lost so many school days. Now I will look for a job, maybe at a garage.