15 September 2010 | ISM Media
At 21.00 on 12 September 2010, the final day of the Islamic festival of `Eid al-Fitr, eight Israeli army jeeps and armoured personnel carriers (APCs) were observed leaving the Israeli-only apartheid roads in Hebron and crossing into the Palestinian Authority-controlled “H1” region. Five international activists followed the vehicles to their destination, a house in the Tel Rumeida area. Around twenty soldiers stayed close to the jeeps, while around ten others entered the targeted house. Other soldiers closed off the area, not letting cars pass. The internationals were already in the area close to the house so they were able to document what was happening, although they were physically prevented from approaching the raided home.
About ten minutes after the jeeps parked in the neighborhood, one Palestinian man was taken from his home, blindfolded and handcuffed, and loaded into an APC. When asked why he was detained, the response from the soldiers was that he is a “security threat”. The soldiers remained around the house for some time, going in and out, and two other family members were taken outside. One of them was blindfolded and body-searched, but was later let back into the house. The international activists persisted in trying to get closer to the house to discourage human rights abuses, but were aggressively pushed back and thrown to the floor by the soldiers. The army stayed at the location for about an hour.
When the convoy left, the internationals went to speak with the family. They learned that the arrested person is named Dirar Abu Monshor, aged 32. Abu Monshor has two little children, who were terrified by the sight of their father being taken away by the soldiers. This has happened before, as he has been imprisoned by Israel twice, for periods of 6 months and 1 year. He was denied the right to see his family or children; his family fears that this will happen once more, for an unknown period of time. On the previous occasions, the reason given for Abu Monshor’s arrest was his former political activities and affiliations.
Abu Monshor joins over 7,000 Palestinian prisoners held by Israel, including at least 200 in ‘administrative detention’ – held without trial sometimes for several years.