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IDF Detains Palestinian-American Woman for Alleged Hamas Support

© Sputnik / Sputnik / Go to the mediabankIn this video grab, residential buildings destroyed by a rocket attack from Israel, as the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas continues, in Gaza, Palestine
In this video grab, residential buildings destroyed by a rocket attack from Israel, as the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Islamist group Hamas continues, in Gaza, Palestine - Sputnik International, 1920, 09.02.2024
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“They took her out without her hijab, her headscarf,” Samaher’s son Ibrahim Hamed told an American news outlet. “It’s like they didn’t even respect her.”
A 46-year-old woman, Samaher Esmail, was pulled out of bed in her family’s West Bank home and arrested by IDF soldiers on Monday, according to her son who lives in the US state of Louisiana.
The family of the Palestinian-American woman as well as the US government is now seeking information about her case.
The IDF confirmed Esmail’s arrest, allegeding her “incitement on social media”. She was arrested near the Silwad village, but the IDF did not detail where she was taken, though they said that she had been “transferred to the security forces for further questioning”. They added that she was being held by Israeli police, not the military.
But Esmail’s son says that her post on social media did not reference Hamas, and that she has only called for “an end to the occupation”, not a support for Hamas, specifically.
"A lot of Palestinians don't support Hamas, they want to end the occupation. It's not promoting violence to say, 'We are strong, we're going to go past this occupation,'" Hamed explained.
Smoke rises during an Israeli military bombardment of the northern Gaza Strip on November 15, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. - Sputnik International, 1920, 15.12.2023
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Hamed also posted a video to social media showing armored vehicles outside the family’s home during the arrest. It was also reported that windows were left broken and belongings had appeared to be tossed around a bedroom during the arrest.
Esmail is also a resident of Louisiana, and her congressmember, Troy Carter, said on Monday that he had contacted the US Embassy and the State Department in an effort to secure her release.
Her sister, Sana Esmail, said that she is concerned about her because she was diagnosed with ovarian cancer and needs medication.
Recently, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu rejected a proposal by Hamas for a three-phase ceasefire, in which it was proposed that Hamas would release all Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Netanyahu rejected the ceasefire and said that the war would continue.
“I would like to emphasize again that there is no solution other than total victory,” the prime minister said.
Health officials say the Israeli attacks since October 7 have brought the Palestinian death toll to nearly 28,000. The UN has also warned that the risk of famine in Gaza is “increasing by the day”.
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