17 Sep 2021; MEMO: Israeli soldiers assaulted a 46-year-old Palestinian physician from the town of Arraba southwest of Jenin following his detention last week and broke his arm.
According to the Wafa news agency, Nidal Arda found Israeli occupation forces in army jeeps surrounding his home after he returned from the mosque following dawn prayers.
"They were waiting at my house and apparently wanted to ambush me. The jeeps turned their lights on in my direction and then ordered me to come out of the car," he said.
There were around 40 soldiers accompanied with dogs, he said, who had broken into and raided his house before he got there.
"The soldiers destroyed my house," he explained. "They broke the doors and windows and ransacked the entire house. They terrorised my family and children, who were separated from their mother and put in another room."
Nidal was interrogated about the Palestinian escapees from Israel's Gilboa Prison as two members were from Arraba.
"They threatened me with my son and said they would not allow him to travel to finish his higher education abroad if I do not cooperate with them," he said.
He was blindfolded and forced into a jeep with other members of the family and neighbourhood and taken away to a military base.
"We were blindfolded and handcuffed," he said. "One soldier pushed me and I fell to the ground. My right arm hit something and I felt great pain. I knew it was broken since I am a doctor," he added.
The soldiers then removed his handcuffs and only left him with sedatives to ease the pain, before taking him to a detention centre.
Due to the noticeable pain, he was taken to a nearby hospital where doctors confirmed he had a broken bone and placed it in a cast. He was then forced back to the detention centre and interrogated about the Palestinian escapees.
A military court ordered his release a week later, reported Wafa. The two Palestinians from Arraba who escaped from prison were caught by the Israeli army before his release.
Israel launched its largest-ever manhunt in the bid to recapture the six men, whose escape was a huge embarrassment for the occupation state.
