12-year-old boy detained by IDF over Naalin riot warmly received by Palestinian prisoners
By Ali Waked
To view original article, published by Ynet on the 13th September, click here
A hero’s welcome: A Palestinian boy detained by the IDF over his involvement in West Bank riots was received warmly by Palestinian detainees at the Ofer Prison near Ramallah Friday.
Muhammad Hawaja, the son of Naalin’s paramedic, is the youngest detainee at the prison. Upon his arrival at the jail, he was received with warm applause by the other prisoners.
“He arrived in high spirits,” one of the prisoner representatives in Hawaja’s wing told Ynet. “We asked him whether he is hungry or needs something, but he said he’s fasting. We held a little festive meal for him. We will pamper him and give him everything he needs, in the framework of what’s available at prison.”
The representative also said that prison authorities are looking into the possibility of transferring the boy to another wing, where his relative is being held at this time.
The boy’s father told Ynet earlier that Large IDF forces arrived Wednesday night at the village of Naalin in order to arrest his son, who is suspected of involvement in violent riots held in protest of Israel’s construction of the security barrier.
Salah Hawaja said that the forces, “came in from the mountains, surrounded the house and removed Muhammad from his bed.
However, the IDF said that it will “continue to enforce the law and pursue anyone who seeks to bring harm in any way to IDF soldiers and Border Guard officers.”