‘Udai al-Fakhuri, 21, from the Tel Rumeidah neighborhood in central Hebron,attacked by soldiers on 14 July 2024
I work at a butcher shop and live with my four brothers, Amir, 23, Suhaib, 28, and the twins Duha and Majd, 15.
On 14 July 2024, around 9:00 P.M., I left my house and started walking towards a convenience store about 10 meters away. Five settlers drove their car onto the sidewalk and blocked my way. I walked instead to the Bab a-Zawiya checkpoint, hoping the soldiers would protect me from them. I stood at the checkpoint for about half an hour until the settlers left, and then I went home.
The soldier pushed my face against the wall and started hitting me on the back and kicking me. He continued swearing at me, pointed his gun at me again and threatened to shoot me if I moved
At around 10:00 P.M., I went to the convenience store again. When I got there, I saw the same five settlers sitting in the car. They got out of the car and started swearing at me. I didn’t answer them. One of them called out to soldiers who were standing at the Gilbert checkpoint nearby, and two of them started coming towards us.
One of the soldiers went over to talk to the settlers. When he was done, he walked towards me, pointing his gun at my head. It was obvious that he was upset. He started cursing me, my mother and my sisters while cocking his weapon. Some young guys who were in the grocery store tried to talk to him, but in response, he pointed the gun at them and ordered them to get out of there. He came up to me, pushed me and started leading me to the Gilbert checkpoint.
[the soldiers] pushed me to the ground, forced me to kneel and started mocking me and filming me on their phones
When we got to the checkpoint, the soldier pushed my face against the wall and started hitting me on the back and kicking me. He continued swearing at me, pointed his gun at me again and threatened to shoot me if I moved. Then he asked me in Arabic where my phone was, and I told him it was at home. He called another soldier to come over, and told him to tie my hands behind my back. They pushed me to the ground, forced me to kneel and started mocking me and filming me on their phones. One of them was holding a Coke can. He finished drinking and started hitting me on the head with the can. Then he threw three medium-sized stones at me, which hit me in the right hand. Meanwhile, another soldier came over holding a bottle of wine and he poured it over my head, while the other two kept yelling and swearing at me.
Another soldier came over holding a bottle of wine and he poured it over my head, while the other two kept yelling and swearing at me
They held me like that for about three hours, handcuffed, on the ground, with the soldiers alternating between swearing at me and kicking me. The zip ties were very tight on my wrists, and when I asked to have them loosened a little, I got more slaps and kicks.
After four hours, one of the soldiers cut the zip ties with a sharp tool and deliberately wounded me. He left one zip tie on my right hand. Right after that, the soldiers ordered me to get up, but my legs hurt badly from kneeling so long and I couldn’t stand. One of the soldiers pulled me violently to my feet and then slammed my right arm hard against the wall. He told me to go home. I made the effort to walk, even though I was dizzy and in severe pain.
I called my brother Amir, who came to meet me on the street. He helped me walk and called an ambulance that took me to the Alia Governmental Hospital in Hebron. At the hospital, they found I was badly bruised. I was treated and got home around 3:00 A.M. It’s been four days, and I’m still suffering from constant pain in my legs and back.
* Testimony given to B’Tselem field researcher Manal al-Ja’bari on 18 July 2024