An American grandmother who suing Israeli military was forcibly arrested

The arrest of an American grandmother who is suing the Israeli military for injuries she sustained in a December 2022 altercation at a security checkpoint has sparked an outcry from her family and others in the United States.

Samaher Esmail, 46, of Gretna, Louisiana was forcibly taken in the middle of the night from her family’s home in the West Bank town of Silwad late Monday by Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers, who forced their way into the residence, according to accounts from her son, who resides in Louisiana.

Esmail lives with her family in Louisiana, but the grandmother was visiting relatives in Palestine when she was taken into custody over comments she allegedly made on social media.

The IDF confirmed the arrest of the New Orleans grandmother for “incitement on social media” without providing more information about Esmail’s alleged comments. “Suspects arrested in the operation were transferred to the security forces for further questioning,” the IDF said.

Despite the passage of days, the family has not received any communication regarding her whereabouts or condition, leading to increasing concerns for her well-being.

“It’s been 48 hours since Israelis kidnapped my mom from Silwad, Palestine in the West Bank and we’ve gotten no answers. She is a U.S. citizen and deserves justice! I don’t even know if she’s alive right now. The US embassy has been no help,” said her son, Ibrahim Hamed, also a Louisiana resident.

“My mother has been beaten up and abused physically and mentally in an Israeli prison. The (U.S. Embassy in Jerusalem) won’t even send a representative until Monday because they want to enjoy their weekend. She will be dead by then!!! They have her medicine and won’t give her any,” said Hamed. “More context – they beat her in December 2022. She proceeded to sue Israel and she was set to go on trial in a couple of days. Now she gets taken days before her trial. We need justice.”

Louisiana Congressman Troy Carter said he’s been in contact with those departments and will, “Get to the bottom of why she’s being held.”

Amid escalating tensions in the Israeli-occupied West Bank and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s brutal war in Gaza, the Biden administration is raising questions about the circumstances surrounding her arrest and broader issues about the treatment of U.S. citizens who are being detained by Israeli forces while still providing weapons that have been used to slaughter roughly 12,000 children among more than 27,000 Palestinians killed since October 7.

The ruthless retaliation that came in response to a surprise attack, orchestrated by Hamas that killed almost 1,200 Israeli lives, injured more than 2,700, and claimed more than 200 hostages, has been widely condemned as a collective punishment on residents of the Gaza Strip, but that is not where the American detainees were located.

With the world’s eyes fixed on Gaza, Israeli forces have unleashed a brutal wave of violence against Palestinians in the occupied West Bank, carrying out unlawful killings, including by using lethal force without necessity or disproportionately during protests and arrest raids, and denying medical assistance to those injured, said Amnesty International.

At least 507 Palestinians were killed in the West Bank in 2023, including at least 81 children, making it the deadliest year for Palestinians since the United Nations Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) began recording casualties in 2005.

“The Israeli authorities must immediately restore Gaza’s electricity supply and suspend the increased restrictions imposed as a result of the Minister of Defense’s order of 9 October 2023 and lift its illegal 16-year blockade on the Gaza Strip. The collective punishment of Gaza’s civilian population amounts to a war crime – it is cruel and inhumane. As the occupying power, Israel has a clear obligation under international law to ensure the basic needs of Gaza’s civilian population are met,” said Amnesty International’s Secretary General Agnès Callamard.

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), the largest Muslim civil rights and advocacy organization in the nation, said it sent a letter to the State Department and the American embassy in Jerusalem requesting that they demand the immediate release of Samaher Esmail, who was kidnapped by Israeli forces on Monday.”

“We call on the State Department to urgently demand the release of Samaher Esmail, a mother, grandmother, and American citizen, who has been subjected to violent abuse at the hands of the far-right Israeli government,” said CAIR Government Affairs Department Director Robert McCaw. “The reported treatment she endured is deeply disturbing and requires immediate attention and action. As an American citizen, Samaher Esmail deserves the full protection and support of her government, and we demand that the State Department take swift and decisive measures to secure her release and ensure her safety and well-being.”

The IDF has stated that Esmail was arrested for “incitement on social media,” although specific details regarding the alleged activities prompting her detention have not been disclosed.

The New Orleans grandmother is one of three American citizens known to be detained by Israeli forces this week, contributing to a wider pattern of military arrests that have targeted both Palestinians and foreigners, as advocates assert.

Alongside Esmail, Borak and Hashem Alagha, aged 18 and 20 respectively, Palestinian American brothers from Gaza, were detained early Thursday in a raid in Mawasi, an area designated as a “safer zone” by the IDF. Similar to Esmail’s case, the circumstances surrounding their arrest remain unclear, further exacerbating concerns among their family members and the broader community.

The situation has prompted urgent responses from both the families of the detained individuals and the U.S. government. Congressman Troy A. Carter, Sr. (D-La.) expressed deep concern over Esmail’s detainment, emphasizing the need for clarity and action to ensure her safety. Meanwhile, the Biden administration, through the State Department, has indicated awareness of the reports and an intention to seek further information regarding the detentions.

Advocacy groups, including Bring Our Families Home and the Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR), have joined the calls for transparency and swift action to secure the release of the detained individuals. CAIR has urged the State Department to demand Esmail’s immediate release, condemning the reported mistreatment she has endured while in custody.

The detention of American citizens in the region comes amidst heightened tensions and increased military activity, raising concerns about human rights violations and the treatment of detainees. The Biden administration has faced mounting pressure to address the situation and ensure the safety of U.S. citizens abroad, particularly in conflict-affected areas like the Israeli-occupied territories.