CPTnet
22 May 2009
HEBRON: Border Police invade home near il-Ibrahimi Mosque

by Paulette Schroeder


Hebron, Palestine  At 8:45 p.m. 17 May 2009, the IDF invaded the Mutahseb family home near the il-Ibrahimi Mosque in the H-2 area of Hebron.  The family had created a doorway in one of their rooms to access the next apartment they rented, and the Border Police Captain said they had not asked his permission to do so.  After confiscating all of the family members’ IDs, the Border Police ordered everyone together in one open space of their home.  They pushed furniture around, then pulled out clothes and bedding from drawers, making general disorder throughout the house.

A family member called CPT at 9:00 p.m. requesting they document the home invasion.  When Tarek Abuata and Paulette Schroeder arrived, the captain ordered them out of the area.  Abuata and Schroeder exited at the Mosque checkpoint but stayed nearby to observe.

The captain ordered the family out of their house.  When Abuata and Schroeder returned inside the gate to be with the family, three soldiers grabbed Abuata and forcibly pushed both him and Schroeder back through the turnstiles and checkpoint gate.  

The captain ordered the Mutahseb family to seal up the doorway, and said if they did not do this within a short time, he himself would seal it.  He threatened to keep the family on the other side of the gate, preventing them from reentering their home.  One of the family replied to the Captain's command,  "I'll not promise you that we will reseal it.  Maybe we will.  Maybe we will not.  This is our home."