Israel Keeps Minor With Degenerative Disease in Prison

Amal Nakhleh, a 17-year-old Palestinian who has a chronic neuromuscular disease, has been in "administrative detention" since January 21, 2021.

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As time passes, his health condition deteriorates more and more. In a hearing held at the Ofer Military Court on Monday, authorities announce that the decision on whether to release the young Palestinian will be communicated on Jan. 18, when the current arrest warrant expires.

His father, Mummar Nakhleh, pointed out that Israel has never given a clear justification for keeping his son incarcerated or charged him with any crime. Nevertheless, the Israeli state extended his arrest three times during 2021. Amal suffers from myasthenia gravis, a rare autoimmune disease that causes severe muscle fatigue and makes it difficult to breathe or swallow.

“Since his arrest last year, I have seen him only twice, including last week when he told me that he wants to go on hunger strike. This scares me because he is already very weak and underwent surgery in 2020 to remove a tumor from his rib cage,” his father said, as reported by the Palestine Sunbird.

His health condition requires continuous medication and health attention, so his stay in prison - where the risk of COVID-19 contagion is high - leaves him in an even more vulnerable state.

Currently, some 500 prisoners are in "administrative detention," a legal figure used by Israel to keep Palestinians arrested for periods of between three and six months, which are renewed indefinitely based on "secret evidence" that neither the lawyer nor the detained may know.

In 2021, over 60 Palestinian inmates went on hunger strike to protest against this detention regime.  Among them is Hisham Abu Hawash, who abandoned his 141-days hunger strike after the Israeli authorities announced they will release him in February.