Osama’s arrest on March 19 gained international attention because he was detained along with his 1-year-old child, who was released the same day with what his family said were cigarette burn marks on his legs.
His mother said Osama suffers from mental health issues and that a “normal person would not take his son to that area” near the so-called “Yellow Line” where Israeli forces frequently open fire on Palestinians.
Israel’s military rejected allegations that its forces had abused Osama’s son. It said the marks on the boy’s legs were the result of warning shots troops fired to compel Osama not to approach the Yellow Line. Reuters was not able to independently verify the circumstances surrounding his arrest.
Al-Ghoul, whose son Amin was arrested in November 2023 while trying to travel from southern Gaza to the enclave’s north, also said she recognised the man in the image from the moment she saw it.
“It’s him — his hair and chin. He is my son. A mother’s heart can recognise her son. I hugged the mobile phone and started crying,” she said from a displaced persons camp in Gaza City. “He is my son, my soul, my life.”
Related
Palestinian group seeks lawyer visit with both men
Around 1,200 Palestinians from Gaza are held in Israel under the Internment of Unlawful Combatants Law, which allows for an unlimited period of detention for people believed to have participated directly or indirectly in hostile acts.
Amani Sarahneh, of the Palestinian Prisoners Society, said that since the image’s release, the organisation has submitted both men’s names to the military in order to try to get lawyer visits with them.
“Visits do take place, but with great difficulty. The coordination process takes a very long time,” Sarahneh said.
Related
