Israel weighs extending detention of sick Palestinian teen

Israel is considering whether to extend the detention of a 17-year-old Palestinian with a rare neuromuscular disorder who has been held without charge for nearly a year in what authorities refer to as administrative detention, his father said Monday.

The use of administrative detention has galvanised demonstrations across the occupied West Bank in recent months as several adult prisoners have gone on hunger strike to protest being held for months or years without charge. Some have secured their release after months of fasting that left them hospitalised and at risk of permanent neurological damage. Israel says administrative detention, which is rarely used for minors, is needed to prevent imminent attacks or to detain dangerous militants without disclosing sensitive intelligence. Rights groups say it further denies due process to Palestinians already living under military rule.

Amal Nakhleh, who was detained in January 2021, is one of just a handful of minors being held in administrative detention. He had a tumour removed from his lung in 2020 and suffers from myasthenia gravis, a nerve disorder that causes severe muscle fatigue.

His father, Muamar, says Israel has renewed Amals detention three times over the past year without saying why he is being held or accusing him of any crime. Theres no legal justification to hold him, theres been no charge,” he said. “They just say they have secret files. He says his son requires regular hospital visits for testing and needs a calm environment. At a court appearance on Monday, he was told that authorities need a few more days to decide whether to renew his sons detention.

I saw him today, he said. He couldnt move his lips, he couldnt move his eyes, he couldnt smile. These are symptoms of the disease… We are very worried about his health situation. The Israeli military said he was arrested on suspicion of involvement in terrorist activities,” without elaborating. It said the renewal of his detention was approved by Israeli military courts. The current order is valid until Jan. 18, it said.

Jessica Montell, the director of HaMoked, an Israeli rights group that advocates for Palestinian detainees, says Israel was holding six minors in administrative detention as of September, when her group received a response to a freedom of information request. Around 500 Palestinian adults are currently being held in administrative detention. Administrative detention should be reserved for extremely rare cases,” Montell said. “It should not be used in this wholesale way that Israel makes use of it, not for adults and definitely not for a sick child.

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