The soldiers come back

After they failed to catch the boy (his name is Mahmoud Hassan Natsheh) two days ago, we feared that the soldiers would raid the family's home, at least as long as he was at large. After the boy was turned over to the Palestinian police- who turned him over to the Israelis- who in fact we recently learned gave him back to the Palestinians since they said their jails are too full and since they see him as a "young offender" they think it'd be better for him to spend a month in a Palestinian jail than 6 months in an Israeli one- some of us believed the family was now safe. We were wrong.

The Army raided the house yesterday, looking for another one of the sons, who is thirteen. The father- Hussein Faleh Natsheh- tried to block the soldiers from taking another one of his boys, and they hit him and very roughly arrested him. He claims that one of the soldiers also pulled a knife on him. I heard about the arrest when it was in progress, and we got there to see the soldiers roughly pushing him with them. A CPTer who got there a few seconds earlier than we did, said she saw one of the soldiers start punching and slapping a teenager who was just standing there and observing.
Hussein was taken to the police station where he was held for a few hours before being released. He was not charged with any crime.

The family asked us to spend the night with them again, so a few of us stayed at their place. The father, who was released not long before we came, and his wife, treated us very well, and called us their sons. It was very heartwarming, we felt like with family. In the morning they made us a delicious breakfast which we ate together with other members of the family, before it was time to leave.


Video of Hussein being arrested.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nlp4qdBA33Q

Watching her husband being taken away.

Surrounded by soldiers, being arrested. Hussein was later released. He was not charged with any crime.

Hussein showing a mark on his arm that was made when soldiers arrested him.

Breakfast at the Natsheh home. Even better than the food, which was awesome, was the kindness and warmth of our hosts.