Iyad and Tasneem, children of martyr Barakat Odeh: a family torn between arrest and grief
On his fifteenth birthday, Jerusalemite boy Iyad Barakat Odeh had his celebration interrupted when Israeli occupation forces raided his home in Ras Shehadeh, Shuafat refugee camp. They arrested him while he was handcuffed and blindfolded, then transferred him between detention centers before placing him under administrative detention.
Iyad shares his family's pain; his sister Tasneem has been jailed for months, and their father, martyr Barakat Odeh, was killed in 2022. The family symbolizes ongoing hardship due to arrests and loss.
The Wadi Hilweh Information Center in Jerusalem explained that the forces stormed the family home at dawn on Friday, forcing the boy against the wall to search him, without explaining where he was being taken or detained. When his mother tried to point out that her son was unwell and needed medical attention, the forces ignored her pleas.
The family received a call on Friday morning from an officer at the Ma'ale Adomim police station, where he was being held. They later learned that he had been transferred to Ofer court, where a hearing was held to extend his detention on the same day until Sunday. It was extended to Monday, and he was expected to be released due to the lack of any charges or evidence against him. However, the family was surprised by the issuance of an order transferring him to administrative detention while they were waiting for the court hearing.
The family found out their son was moved to the al-Maskubiya detention center in West Jerusalem.
This is the second time Iyad has been arrested; he was previously detained for several hours at age 12.
This situation compounds the family's ongoing hardship. His sister, Tasneem, 22, is serving a 17-month prison term after being accused by Israeli authorities of incitement on social media. Since her arrest in December 2014, 12 court hearings have taken place, but the family has been barred from visiting her. She remains in Damon Prison under a visitation ban that has lasted for two years.
Tasneem, a law student nearing the completion of her graduation project, ended up in prison. During her time incarcerated, she memorized the Quran, demonstrating remarkable willpower and resilience.
Iyad and Tasneem, children of martyr Barakat Odeh, embody the continuous suffering of a Palestinian family devastated by arrests and loss. Their story highlights personal anguish and resilience amid the occupation's policies.
