Israel Imprisoned a 13-Year-Old Boy for Ten Years. Today, He Was Set Free.

Ahmad’s release is a moment of relief—but his case is not isolated. Dozens of Palestinian children are held by Israel under similarly brutal conditions.

Apr 10, 2025

From Mondoweiss:

Ahmad Manasra, a Palestinian boy detained by Israeli authorities at just 13 years old, has finally been released after nearly 10 years in prison. He's now 23.

His story is one of trauma, systemic abuse—and global outrage.

Ahmad was arrested in 2015 after being accused of stabbing Israeli settlers in the illegal Pisgat Ze’ev settlement in occupied East Jerusalem. His cousin, 15, was fatally shot on the spot. Ahmad was run over and left bleeding on the ground by Israeli settlers.

Video footage later emerged of Ahmad—injured, screaming, and violently restrained by Israeli authorities who were shouting at and threatening him. His interrogation, without legal counsel or family present, was shared widely and condemned globally.

During his detention, Ahmad was subjected to solitary confinement and repeated physical and psychological abuse by Israeli prison officials. These conditions led to a diagnosis of schizophrenia.

Despite years of appeals and international pressure, Israeli authorities kept Ahmad imprisoned. Human rights groups cited his case as a tragic example of Israel’s treatment of Palestinian minors.

Today, Ahmad was quietly released—but not at the gates of Nafha Prison, where his family was waiting. Instead, Israeli authorities released him in Bir as-Sabi’, far from their reach.

Ahmad’s release is a moment of relief—but his case is not isolated. Dozens of Palestinian children are held by Israel under similarly brutal conditions.

This is what the Israeli occupation does to Palestinian childhood.

And let’s not forget: it was never even proven that Ahmad committed the act he was accused of. There was never evidence.

This is how the Israeli occupation criminalizes Palestinian children: through violence, fear, and manufactured guilt.

From Amnesty International: Long overdue release of Ahmad Manasra marks the start of a long and difficult path to recovery

Responding to the release of Ahmad Manasra, a Palestinian arrested at the age of 13, from Israeli prison after nine and a half years imprisonment, Heba Morayef, Amnesty International’s Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa said:

“Ahmad Manasra’s release today is a huge relief for him and for his family, but nothing can undo the years of injustice, abuse, trauma and ill-treatment he endured behind bars. Instead of releasing him on medical grounds years earlier when his mental health conditions significantly deteriorated, the Israeli parole committee invoked a provision in the abusive Counter-Terrorism Law to block his early release. Ahmad Manasra was interrogated at age 13 without a lawyer or parent present. Video footage of his interrogation showed interrogators shouting at and insulting him as he became increasingly distressed. Despite mounting calls for his release, Israeli authorities placed him under solitary confinement for nearly two years which significantly worsened his conditions. Solitary confinement longer than 15 days violates the prohibition of torture.

We express our deepest hope for Ahmad’s recovery from the profound trauma he has suffered. He must be granted adequate access to the healthcare he needs in his native East Jerusalem without any discrimination and he and his family must be protected from any form of intimidation and abuse.

The shocking ill-treatment of Ahmad Manasra and cruelty exhibited towards him by the Israeli prison authorities and the Israeli justice system is an illustration of broader patterns of abuse against Palestinian detainees, especially children. Three weeks ago, a 17-year-old Palestinian detainee, Walid Khalid Abdullah Ahmad, died in Israeli custody likely due to a combination of starvation and extreme medical neglect and abuse, as evidenced by his autopsy.”

Ahmad Manasra’s release comes at a time when thousands of Palestinian prisoners and detainees face unprecedented levels of torture and other ill-treatment and denial of their most basic rights, such as food and healthcare. Israeli authorities repeatedly claimed that Manasra’s prolonged and cruel solitary confinement was aimed at protecting him, but in fact it subjected him to immense suffering.

Background:

Ahmad Manasra was arrested in October 2015 in connection with a stabbing incident in occupied East Jerusalem. Despite evidence suggesting he did not participate in the stabbings, and despite his young age, he was subjected to harsh interrogation without legal representation or the presence of his parents. Footage of his interrogation, showing him distressed and injured, sparked international concern.

In 2016, Ahmad Manasra was convicted of attempted murder in proceedings that raised serious concerns about due process and his rights as a child. He was initially sentenced to 12 years in prison, later reduced to nine and a half years in prison. His request for early release on medical grounds were rejected by the Israeli parole committee in 2022, decisions which the Israeli courts upheld.

During his years of incarceration, Ahmad Manasra’s mental health significantly deteriorated, particularly during nearly two years spent in solitary confinement beginning in November 2021. Amnesty International repeatedly raised concerns about his well-being and the detrimental impact of prolonged solitary confinement, which violates international law.

Amnesty International has consistently highlighted Ahmad Manasra’s case as emblematic of the systemic human rights violations faced by Palestinian children within the Israeli military justice system.

From Quds News Network:

Asra Media reported that Palestinian Ahmad Manasrah was supposed to be released from Nafha Prison, where his family was waiting to receive him. However, the family was shocked by a call from people in the Beersheba area, informing them that Ahmad was with them, as the Israeli occupation had deliberately released him far from the prison gate."