"The father of a 12-year-old boy on the run for a week from Israeli soldiers in the occupied West Bank has told Middle East Eye that he fears his son will be killed if caught. Ramzi Abu Ajamia has been in hiding for the past 7 nights, the boy's father, Nasir Abu Ajamia, said from their family home in Bethlehem's Dheisha refugee camp. Israeli forces first showed up at the family's home on 24 March, raiding the house and detaining Ramzi's older brother.
"Ramzi said he had no idea why Israel was seeking to detain him. He says he attended protests against Israeli occupation, where rocks were thrown. 'I don't go to the clashes outside of the camp, but when soldiers come to us inside the camp, yeah I go out with the other boys - but that's it - only when they come to us,' he said, speaking to MEE during a furtive visit to the family home. 'I can't explain why they want me, other than it's my turn. Tomorrow it will be another kid's [turn].'
"Nasir said: 'The soldiers have been to the house 3 times now, the first time they took my 16-year-old.' At the time, 12-year-old Ramzi was not at home. 'They beat his brother bad and afterward Ramzi saw the blood on the street and heard about how bad his brother had been hit, so he's too frightened to let himself be arrested.' Nasir said the Israeli soldiers had asked where Ramzi was on 3 subsequent visits to the house.
"While Nasir has urged his son to stay home and allow Israeli soldiers to take him in for questioning, Ramzi has refused. Instead, Ramzi said, he plans to dodge the apparent arrest order for as long as possible. His father fears the situation risks escalation by the day. 'I'm scared that they will kill him if they find him now. I know it happens, after coming to arrest someone 3 times and not finding them, they aim to kill them when they do,' the father said." (From Palestinian 12-year-old on run from Israeli forces, Sheren Khalel Abed al Qaisi, middleeasteye.net, 31/3/16)
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