Israeli police release Palestinian woman after arresting her for post about Rafah

By Abdelraouf Arnaout

JERUSALEM (AA) - Israeli police released a Palestinian beauty shop owner from the town of Majd al-Krum in northern Israel on Thursday following her arrest over a social media post expressing sadness and solidarity with Palestinians in Rafah after a weekend strike on a camp for displaced people.

On Tuesday, a video circulated on social media, allegedly filmed by a police officer, showing a policewoman tying Rasha Kareem’s hands and blindfolding her while transferring her to an interrogation center.

“Rasha was interrogated due to a post on social media,” her lawyer, Hussein Manna, told local radio station Shams.

“We were surprised by the leaked video, which was leaked by police officers themselves, as it was filmed inside the police station by one of its officers who arrested Rasha for interrogation,” he added.

The lawyer said her arrest was “illegal and brutal. There is no justification for this humiliating method.”

Manna said “what is strange is that the video was not officially released but leaked secretly to spread fear and intimidation to everyone, suggesting that this is what awaits those who are summoned for interrogation.”

There has been no comment from the Israeli police on the arrest or the lawyer's statements.

Sunday's Israeli airstrike on the tent camp for displaced people in Rafah triggered a fire and killed 45 people.

The attack occurred near the logistics base of the UN Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) in Tal al-Sultan.

Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza following a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas on Oct. 7 last year, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire.

More than 36,240 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, the vast majority being women and children, and over 81,777 others injured, according to local health authorities.

Nearly eight months into the Israeli war, vast swathes of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water and medicine.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in its latest ruling ordered it to immediately halt its operation in Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on May 6.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio