A fifteen-year-old Palestinian boy, previously the victim of torture by the Israeli military, has again been arrested in the village of Nabi Saleh, near Ramallah.
Islam Tamimi received international media attention in August when the British newspaper the Independent described footage of his interrogation by the Israeli army. The report included descriptions of sleep deprivation and physical assault prior to his being forced to make statements against other villagers’ alleged involvement in protests. The latest detention follows his arrest in January. Islam is currently under house arrest and is due to face an Israeli military court at an, as yet, unspecified date.
The arrest occurred during last week’s Friday protest by Palestinian villagers at Nabih Saleh, which again saw clashes between demonstrators and the Israeli military.
Emerging from the village mosque after Friday prayers, residents were joined by Palestinian, Israeli, and international activists and supporters.
Demonstrators staged a mock funeral for the Oslo Accords, signed 18 years ago this month, before Israeli troops fired teargas and a handful of local protestors threw rocks from afar.
Central to the protestors’ concerns is the seizure of the village’s water supply by a nearby Israeli settlement. Israeli soldiers positioned themselves around the well at the bottom of the valley separating the two communities and as the demonstrators approached they were met with teargas canisters and grenades.
After forcing the demonstration back into Nabi Saleh the soldiers entered the village, continuing to fire teargas. Local residents not participating in the proceedings were forced into their houses for several hours as the clashes continued.
Israeli reinforcements arrived and Islam Tamimi was arrested. He was released at 10:30PM, the same night.