Ahmad Abu Sha’ban, 18, from the a-Sheikh neighborhood in central Hebron, attacked by soldiers on 24 May 2024

I live with my parents and three siblings in the a-Sheikh neighborhood in the Hebron city center. I work as a waiter in a restaurant about 200 meters from my home.  

The soldiers led me somewhere on foot. I couldn’t see the way because of the blindfold. They walked quickly, kicking and pushing me against parked cars along the way, and cursed my mother

On Friday morning, 24 May 2024, around 8:00 AM, I was driving to work when three soldiers who apparently set up a checkpoint signaled for me to stop. I stopped the car and got out as they ordered. They started searching the car. One of them asked for my ID card, and I handed it to him. Then, he ordered me to unlock my phone, which I did. The soldier started scrolling through the photo gallery on my phone and saw a short video of me holding a gun at a friend’s wedding. I’d asked the owner to let me have my photo taken holding the gun.  

The soldiers started shouting, and one of them tied my hands in front of me with zip ties. He fastened them very tight on my wrists and covered my eyes and nose with a cloth, which he tied so tight that I couldn’t breathe through my nose. I asked the soldier to loosen the zip ties, but he swore at me and tightened them even more.

The soldiers led me somewhere on foot. I couldn’t see the way because of the blindfold. They walked quickly, kicking and pushing me against parked cars along the way, and cursed my mother. I think we walked about two kilometers, until we got to an area where I couldn’t hear people or cars any more. I don’t know where we were. It was very hot and I was really uncomfortable because of the blindfold. The soldiers started to hit me with the butts of their guns, while swearing at me and threatening to kill me. Then they ordered me to get down on my knees and keep my head down. I did as they said, writhing in pain.

My father called my phone. One of the soldiers ordered me to pick up and tell him I was hanging out with friends, but I refused. He hit me hard on the left shoulder with the butt of his gun

Meanwhile, my father called my phone. One of the soldiers ordered me to pick up and tell him I was hanging out with friends, but I refused. He hit me hard on the left shoulder with the butt of his gun, which hurt badly. Then they ordered me to stay on my knees and not move. The kneeling hurt, and I had to stay like that, in the sun, for about two hours, while they alternated between slapping, kicking and cursing me.

At one point, someone who spoke Arabic joined them and started questioning me about the gun in the picture. He demanded that I tell him who owned the gun and who else held guns at the wedding. I told him it was a dummy gun that only made a sound. I explained that I didn’t know the owner and had only asked him for a photo with it. He accused me of lying, slapped me, kicked me and cursed me.

Meanwhile, my phone rang again. The Arabic-speaker answered. I understood from the conversation that he was talking to my father. He told him I was in trouble and that he should persuade me to give them the name of the gun owner. Then he put the phone on speaker. My dad told me not to be scared and not to say random things out of fear. The soldier started cursing my mom and dad and threatening to torture me. He even said he’d come to our house, arrest my parents and abuse them. Then he put his cigarette out on my right arm. It really hurt, but I held back from shouting because I didn’t want my father to worry. The soldier continued to curse my father, and then my dad hung up.

He continued questioning me about the owner of the gun for about an hour, while he and other soldiers cursed me, hit me with their guns, kicked me and slapped me. I was kneeling in the sun the entire time. I was very thirsty and my throat was dry. I asked the soldier who knew Arabic for some water, and he said he’d pull my teeth out so I would drink my own blood, and that he’d leave me in the sun without food or water until I died.  

I asked the soldier who knew Arabic for some water, and he said he’d pull my teeth out so I would drink my own blood, and that he’d leave me in the sun without food or water until I died. 

I felt my legs going numb and asked to change position. He ordered me to sit on the ground with my legs stretched in front of me. I thought he was taking pity on me, but then he started jumping on my legs and knees. He did that several times, and I screamed in pain.  

After that, two soldiers stood me up and led me to the police station at al-Haram al-Ibrahimi (the Tomb of the Patriarchs), where they handed me over to someone who spoke Arabic. At first, he forced me to kneel again, which hurt a lot. When I complained, he allowed me to sit in a more comfortable position. I crouched. They didn’t remove the blindfold or the zip ties. I asked for water, and he brought me some. I was so thirsty that I drank five cups.

I stayed like that, at the police station, for about two hours. I asked one of the officers how much longer I would be kept there. He went away, and then came back and told me I’d be released soon.

About 15 minutes later, a soldier came and led me to the southern entrance of a-Shuhada Street, where he removed the blindfold but not the zip ties. He gave me a summons for interrogation at the Ja’barah police station in Kiryat Arba for Sunday, 26 May 2024, and ordered me to get out of there.

I called my father, who picked me up and drove me home. I was completely exhausted. My whole body was bruised from the beatings and it hurt badly.

Today, at around 10:00 A.M., my dad and I went to the police station in Kiryat Arba. I met with an interrogator who introduced himself as “Abu Yamen,” and he interrogated me for about 15 minutes. He played a video from my detention. I couldn’t see it, but I heard my voice during the interrogation and the attack when I was detained, and I realized the soldiers had filmed me. The interrogator told me not to cause trouble and to not hold any weapons, and asked if I knew anyone who had a weapon. I said I didn’t. Then he let me go, but didn’t give back the phone the soldiers took from me. When I asked about it, he said he didn’t have it.

* Testimony given to B’Tselem field researcher Manal al-Ja’bari on 26 May 2024