Testimony of a Palestinian Ex-Prisoner

Ahmad Hatnawi from Qabatiya, a freed prisoner for the fourth time. I returned ten

days ago, and today the occupation forces raided the town.

They went into my aunt's house and called my family.

"Where is Ahmad?"

My father said, "Here he is." He said, "Bring him, we want him."

So I came here, and they interrogated me, Q&A style. And that's

it: "If the settlers come, we don't want trouble," and stuff like that.

"And you're a newly released prisoner." "Did you see anything here or there?" Just

interrogation and intimidation to scare the locals and the prisoners.

They fear the reaction of the prisoners and the locals here because of

the settlements and such in the Jenin area. He came to deliver

a message that whoever attacks settlers will cause trouble, and so on,

basically, and that the settlers will stay here for a long time.

So it's just about intimidation, nothing more or less, and threats.

These numbers, I don't know, it's the first time they put them on me. This is the fourth time—

well, the fifth time I've been brought, but it's the first time they put these

numbers on me. They arrested a large number, including women

detained from Asaba, and prisoners—around 50 people.

In the house where we met.

These injuries are from the detention when— what's it called, I have a hairline fracture in my skull

and one here, and in my nose and leg, because I faced a military interrogation at the start

of my detention.

Of course, they treat me— as if they'd treat me like a human being.

They treat us brutally, which is normal. I mean, it's an occupation here.

They failed to humiliate us, but it's a way of humiliation, you know.

Praise be to the Lord of the Worlds, we believe in God.

And this is something our Lord decreed for us, and it is beyond our endurance.

What's happening to us is against our will. No one would accept having something like

this happen to them.