Financial drain on prisoners released in the exchange deal: Home raids and fines imposed in Jerusalem
The occupation authorities continue to raid the homes of those released in the exchange deal in Jerusalem and impose various fines on them.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Jerusalem is monitoring the raids on the homes of released prisoners, imposing fines on them, threatening them with re-arrest, and verbally abusing them and their family members. This campaign has been ongoing since the first days of the "first batch" exchange deal in January.
The Information Center stated that the most recent raids were on the homes of released prisoners Khaled Halabi, Moab Abu Khdeir, and Murad al-Rajabi in Beit Hanina and Shu’fat. This was preceded by the raid on the Faroukh family home, where fines were imposed on Mohammad Faroukh and his son Fahmi. Several days earlier, the homes of released prisoners in Beit Hanina and Issawiya were raided, preceded by raids on the homes of released prisoners in Sur Baher.
The Information Center stated that many prisoners' homes are raided and fined thousands of shekels, but they do not disclose this to the media due to direct threats against them "not to give interviews, or threats to return to them if any interview is conducted."
The fines range in value from 475 to 750 shekels, with each family receiving more than four fines at a time. Occupation forces have raided the homes of some prisoners several times and issued them fines, with the fines for one prisoner reaching more than 3,000 shekels.
The grounds for the fines vary, most notably the presence of leaves in front of the house or in its yard, prohibiting the hanging of laundry in the yard, the presence of slogans in front of the house, the presence of wood on the roof of the house, on the street in front of the house, or inside the stairwell of a residential building, and the presence of a gas pipe "illegally."
Residents confirmed that the occupation forces claim that there is waste, which is often "leaves" that constantly fall in the area, in the yard or at the door of the house, or the presence of stones, wood, or iron on a main street, several meters from the prisoner's home. However, the released prisoner is fined for this.
The forces also inspect vehicles or motorcycles parked in front of the homes of released prisoners, whether they belong to family members or neighbors, and their licenses are revoked and fined.
The released prisoners also suffer from constant summonses for interrogation, threats of re-arrest or deportation from Jerusalem, and being banned from entering Al-Aqsa Mosque and being kept away from the place.
Crews from the Israeli Water Company also inspect water meters, and crews from the Municipality's Arnona Department take measurements of the house and inspect any additions or renovations.
In the first phase of the exchange deal, 76 Jerusalemite prisoners holding "blue ID cards" were released, including 27 prisoners who were deported outside the Palestinian territories, two to the Gaza Strip, eight women, and 46 prisoners serving life sentences and high sentences.
