BY ROHAN PEARCE
The Israeli human rights organisation B'Tselem has conducted an investigation into the murder of Murad 'Awaisa, a 17-year-old Palestinian. 'Awaisa was killed in Ramallah at the beginning of Israel's bloody "Operation Defensive Shield", the recent large-scale military assault on the Occupied Territories.
The B'Tselem report, Death in Custody: The Killing of Murad 'Awaisa, was released on May 30. It detailed 'Awaisa's and his neighbours' detention by Israel Defence Force soldiers in their apartment block, which began on March 31.
'Awaisa's mother, Faria, told B'Tselem investigators: "I looked through the peep-hole in the door and saw soldiers going into the apartments of my brothers-in-law and searching them. Then they came to our apartment. About seven soldiers came into the apartment, put my daughter Riham, 14, my son Muaid, 8, and me in the guestroom and closed the door.
"I heard Murad screaming in pain. I started screaming and tried to leave the room, but each time the soldiers sent me back. One of them said to me in Arabic, 'You are a woman. Don't force me to beat you.'"
'Awaisa was detained, along with other Palestinian men, in another of the apartments in the building. Ahed Jabareen was another of those detained with 'Awaisa. He told B'Tselem: "The soldiers bound our hands behind us with plastic handcuffs, blindfolded us, and took us next door ... They covered my head with trousers. They took us to one of the top floors of the building, kicking us and beating us with their hands and rifle butts along the way. They put us all into one room... They did not let us move, and forced us to remain kneeling. After an hour or so passed, they removed the handcuffs and put them on again, this time in front."
'Awaisa was brought in around 1pm, his hands bound with thin electrical wire. According to Jabareen, "The soldiers tied his hands very tightly. Whenever he complained about it, the soldiers beat him and told him to shut up".
When detainees were taken to the bathroom, they came back with their eyes bloodshot, after being beaten by the soldiers. The other prisoners could hear them scream.
That evening 'Awaisa was taken to the bathroom by soldiers, and 20 minutes later, the other Palestinians heard gunfire, inside and outside the building. During the night the soldiers dumped 'Awaisa's naked body on the road outside.
The next morning the soldiers' commanding officer went to 'Awaisa's mother to obtain the number of al Halal Hospital, to get an ambulance to come and take away the body. He didn't tell her that her son was dead.
'Awaisa had been shot once in the knee and once in the heart.
[Death in Custody: The Killing of Murad 'Awaisa is available at From Green Left Weekly, June 26, 2002.
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