As Said Abu Aidah’s house in eastern Jabalya was bombed during Israel’s Cast Lead operation, he sought refuge together with his family at his cousin’s house, located nearby. On 3 January 2009 however, the Israeli army stormed his cousin’s house ordering everyone to step outside. All adult men, including Said, his brother, cousin as well as his daughter’s fiancé were ordered to undress down to their underwear. After the soldiers confirmed that they were not armed, they approached to arrest them. They immediately handcuffed and blindfolded them. Said and the three other men were taken to the neighbor’s house where they were held captive for nine consecutive days. There, they joined five other men, residents of the same neighborhood, who had been detained before them. In the first day of their detention, the soldiers interrogated them one by one about Hamas’ military activities. They were asked to indicate on a map the location of tunnels, and Hamas’ premises. Throughout the interrogation, Said reports that he was beaten all over the body with a gun, kicked and had his head smashed against the wall. During the whole nine day period Said spent in his neighbor’s house, he and his companions were handcuffed all the time and not allowed to lay down to sleep. Instead, they were forced to sleep in a chair in a seating position. All nine men were fed with bread only for three entire days after which they were being given jam additionally. Said states that he was used as a human shield twice between 3/01/2009 and 12/01/2009. Both times he was forced to inspect abandoned houses and report to the soldiers on what he saw. Blindfolded and hand cuffed, he was ordered to enter buildings while they were using his body to protect themselves from potential bullets. After he opened every window and door in the house, the soldiers were sending a police dog to inspect the premises once again. Then, they were moving in themselves.

 

After nine days of arrest in the neighbor’s house, Said and 6 other men – 2 of the initial nine were released – were transferred to a military camp inside Israel. During the transfer, they were constantly beaten, shouted at and humiliated. Once arrived to the camp, all seven men were held in a trailer where they were given only three blankets to share at night. As no beds were provided, they had to sleep on the floor. Again, they were constantly beaten during the entire time and were held with their hands cuffed. Said states that one soldier purposefully put ice on his naked back even though he was extremely cold from exhaustion and the lack of heating in the trailer. The men were transferred to another military camp before they arrived to the Negev prison where they were kept initially in cells – during a three day period – and then finally in prison accommodations. While in prison, Said was detained with nine other men in the room. He was finally released on 27 January 2009.