Invisible Chains
After praying late at night, Zeinab lay in her bed, while in the living room Baba still prayed. Zeinab rolled on her side to sleep, when suddenly there was hammering on their backdoor. Then Zeinab heard men's voices outside, speaking Hebrew. Baba came to her room.
"Zeinab; get dressed and wake Mama."
When Baba left, Zeinab swiped her phone to see the time was 1.33. She took off her nightgown and quickly pulled on a dress, and then her cap and hijab fastened at her throat. She went to her parent's room while Baba was in the kitchen with Israeli soldiers. Zeinab switched on the bedroom light and shook Mama.
"What?"
"Israeli soldiers are here. Baba said you must get up."
"I'll dress. Please wake Zakariyah and Rawan."
Zeinab went to their room and shook both.
"Israeli soldiers are here; you must get up."
"The children...," Rawan said.
"I'll wake them."
"They can't see me like this," Rawan said. "I'll dress.
Zeinab left her second-oldest brother and his wife to dress. Zeinab passed where eight soldiers in uniform and wearing black masks filled the kitchen; looking dangerous with their automatic rifles ready. Zeinab tried to ignore that as she went to wake Zakariyah and Rawan's young children sharing two rooms, and Mama was up, waking Zeinab's younger brothers and sisters.
Amal woke with a start, wondering what it was. Then she heard loud banging on the front door of their home. Abdallah stirred as Amal climbed out of bed to go to the door.
"Who's there?"
"Open up; it's the Israeli army!" a man shouted in Arabic.
"I need to dress."
"If you don't open the door we'll blow it up!"
Amal pulled her prayer cloak over her nightgown and then went to unlock the door as Abdallah came alongside, for many soldiers in black masks and carrying rifles to burst into their home. Maybe 15 or maybe even more. Four soldiers aimed their rifles at Amal and Abdallah,
"Give us your ID cards and your mobiles," a fifth solder said in Arabic.
No! "My phone has personal things on it."
One soldier aimed his rifle close to Amal's head.
"Get your mobile phone."
Amal wondered if they would shoot her, so she went with Abdallah to their room to get her phone while a soldier followed. Abdallah handed across his ID and phone as Amal held her phone tight.
"Give me your phone," the soldier ordered.
"It has pictures and personal things on it."
The soldier tried to force it out of Amal's hand.
This wasn't right. "Get your officer," Amal insisted.
Another soldier closed. "I'm the officer," he said in bad Arabic. "Unlock your phone and let me see."
Amal did that, and opened the picture gallery while the officer looked on. He then grabbed it and put it on top of the wardrobe. They didn't bother with Amal's ID card.
"What are your names?"
"I'm Abdallah Ajlouni and this is my wife, Amal."
Then Inas, woken by light or noise in the room, started to cry. Amal picked up her baby and tried to comfort her.
"We're going to search your house," the soldier who spoke good Arabic said.
"Please don't wake our children," Amal said as she comforted Inas by patting her back. "Our children will get scared if they see you."
That didn't stop those soldiers from searching, but fortunately not the children's room who still slept.
"Where's your brother, Harbi?" the soldier asked Abdallah.
"He lives in the house across from us."
A solder grabbed Amal and dragged her to the television room, while another soldier led Abdallah. Two more soldiers brought Yamen into the room with his wrists tied in front with zip ties. Those two soldiers tied Abdallah's wrists the same way with zip ties, and then they led Abdallah and Yamen away.
Diala woke and then realised men were in their house, shouting. Harbi got out of bed and opened the door to their bedroom, while Diala's daughters all woke and started to cry. Diala didn't know what to do as eight soldiers, all wearing black masks and two leading big, savage dogs, burst into their bedroom.
"Mama!" Lujayan cried out while Diala picked up her baby, Ayala, to comfort her.
Two soldiers pointed their rifles at Harbi's head.
"Leave him be!" Diala ordered. "Get away from him!" That was wrong.
Those soldiers took Harbi by his arms and led him out of the room, while Diala went to follow but two more soldiers grabbed her arms to stop her. They closed the door leaving Diala with her children, all crying, and only then did Diala realise Lujayan had wet herself with fear. Still holding Ayala, Diala knelt to comfort poor Lujayan who sobbed quietly.
"It'll be alright; you'll see."
"I'm scared, Mama."
"I know, but this won't be for long."
Diala waited for about 20 minutes until the door opened and two soldiers came in.
"Give us you and your husband's mobiles and ID cards," he said in Arabic.
Diala went to their bedside tables to take her and Harbi's mobiles and ID cards to hand to the solder, but he put Diala's ID card back.
"You have to come with us."
"Are you the officer?" Diala asked.
"You have to come with us."
Diala guessed they were being taken to one of the other houses.
"Let me put their shoes on."
"No!"
Diala tried anyway but other soldiers pulled her away. The children all began crying as soldiers led Diala carrying Ayala, while Linda and Lujayan held Diala's legs to be protected, especially from the dog which one soldier let walk close. Diala was terrified of that vicious-looking dog as they were taken to Abdallah's and Amal's home about 20 metres away, with the children crying all of the way. Soldiers took Diala and her children to the television room where Amal nursed Inas. Abdallah and Yamen, their wrists tied with tip ties, were also there but two soldiers led them away. Diala, with all of her children crying, didn't know what to do.
Soldiers led Zeinab and the rest of her household, including Mama and Baba, to their living room, with Zakariyah and Rawan's children crying so much. Poor Rawan tried to calm her children but they were beyond what a mother could do.
"Give us your mobiles," one soldier ordered.
One by one they put their mobiles into a white plastic bag except Zeinab slipped her phone into the pocket of her dress. When the soldier with the bag came to Zeinab, she shook her head.
"You men; give us your ID cards."
Those went into the bag as well.
"We're going to search the house; you have to go outside."
"Can I go to my apartment to get my jewellery?" Muhammad asked.
"No."
While that was happening, Zeinab sneaked into her bedroom to take her cash from the wardrobe drawer, and put that into her pocket before returning to the living room.
Soldiers gathered adults, including Zeinab, to lead all outside, accompanied by Rawan's crying children, and from there they were taken to Abdallah and Amal's home about 20 metres away. In the television room, about ten soldiers guarded Amal, Diala and Diala's children, all screaming with fear; poor things. Zeinab knelt to hug and comfort Linda while Amal comforted her baby, Inas. The rest of Amal's children weren't there – they must still be asleep in their room.
Soldiers led the men: Baba, Zakariyah and Muhammad, out of the room.
"They took Harbi, Abdallah and Yamen away," Amal said. "My children are still sleeping in their room."
To have their homes invaded like that was wrong. Zeinab wondered how long this would take.
Amal watched two female soldiers, one with a huge dog on a leash, approach. Those female soldiers grabbed Amal who had just enough time to hand Inas to Zeinab. They took Amal to her children's room, with Amal being especially careful to keep away from that dog which looked like it would bite her at any moment. As soon as they entered the room, Afaf screamed, and as soon as Afaf screamed, Yazan and Ahmed cried. Ahmed, only age four, got out of bed and clutched at Amal's legs.
"Move away from him," the female soldier without the dog ordered.
The female soldier pulled Ahmed away, so Amal sat him on his bed and knelt in front to hug and comfort her young son.
"Move away from him," the female soldier ordered again.
Amal, scared of the dog, did.
"Now, take off your clothes."
Amal, watching the dog, removed her prayer beads which rattled. The soldier with the dog loosened its lead and it came close. Amal backed away but the wall was in the way – she felt her heart racing fast.
"Take the dog away from me," Amal said. The soldier did nothing. "We're afraid of dogs."
The soldier tightened the dog's lead which pulled it away from Amal.
"Take off your clothes and underwear."
No! "I have nothing on me, and my underwear is light so there's no reason to remove this."
"Take off your clothes and underwear."
Amal couldn't believe this; she felt sweaty despite the cool and her tears ran. "Don't make me do this in front of my children."
"I'll set the dog on you."
"Please don't!" Amal cried. "No, no, no."
"Do it."
Amal, crying, removed her prayer cloak, her nightgown and her panties.
"Stretch your arms right out and turn around."
Still crying, Amal did this.
"Now, get dressed."
The children cried, and Amal cried as she dressed. The female soldier who spoke Arabic opened the door for two male soldiers to take Amal and her children, all crying, to the television room, and then took Amal's and Diala's children to the living room, except for Inas being nursed by Zeinab. They shouldn't do that; Afaf was crying too much.
"Please let me care for my baby," Amal asked.
Amal was shocked they allowed this, but then she was angry that she had to beg to comfort her child in her own home.
Diala wondered what happened in there, but clearly it was bad from the way Amal cried so much.
"What happened?" Diala asked.
"The two female soldiers made me undress and expose myself in front of my children."
"No!"
Two male soldiers took Mama to the bedroom, and closed the door while standing outside. About five minutes later, they brought Mama, her face ashen white, back to the television room.
"They forced me to undress, too."
"That's terrible, Mama."
A soldier came for Diala and she knew she had to go, but she didn't know if she could do this. Trapped in the room that dog was too vicious – Diala stayed glued to the door. Diala had to get out of there – she turned to open the handle.
"Stop!" a female soldier ordered.
"I'm afraid of the dog."
"I don't care. Now, take off your clothes and underwear."
"No, I won't!"
"If you don't take off your clothes and underwear, I'll release the dog."
Diala knew she had no choice as she removed her nightgown and panties.
"Stretch your arms right out and turn around."
Diala did, and despite knowing she had no choice, she couldn't stop herself from crying. It was humiliating and degrading to be treated like that. Diala cried and cried; even when the female soldier told her to dress and then opened the door for male soldiers to take her to the television room.
When soldiers approached, Zeinab laid Inas on the couch who then cried, and Zeinab took her mobile from her pocket and hid it behind a cushion. Zeinab followed the soldier into the room with two female soldiers, both with masks and one with a huge dog on a short lead. Suddenly, a male soldier burst into the room and pressed the barrel of his rifle against Zeinab's head while holding her phone. Zeinab froze.
"What else are you hiding?" he asked. "Admit it!"
As much as Zeinab wanted to say she was hiding nothing more, words wouldn't form.
"Fuck you!" the soldier swore.
Zeinab waited for worse than swearing while wishing she could move or say something,
"Obey those soldiers," he then said, and left the room.
Zeinab heard her father outside, arguing with soldiers.
"Baba, help me!" she called.
"Let me go to my daughter," Baba said.
"Baba!"
"You, undress!" the female soldier without the dog ordered. "Take off everything, including your underwear."
"No I will not!"
"I'll set the dog onto you."
"Do as she says," Diala called from the television room.
As much as she didn't want to, Zeinab undressed, including her panties, and as much as she didn't want to, Zeinab cried.
"Stretch your arms right out and turn around."
Still crying, Zeinab did this.
"Now, you can dress and leave."
Zeinab did, and when she got to the room, soldiers took Rawan to the room to be humiliated, while her children now screamed and cried. Zeinab help comfort Quasai, only four and taking things badly. Rawan returned and didn't say anything, but then, she didn't need to.
Diala felt her heart torn in two by the children in the living room crying so much, especially poor Ayala so young.
"Please let me get my baby."
"No, you must stay here."
"Please."
"I'll get your child."
He left, and returned moments later with Ayala, who Diala hugged, the poor girl. Not long after, soldiers brought all of the children from the living room and then Diala heard soldiers searching there. Shortly after, Diala noticed some soldiers were leaving while a soldier came to the television room.
"You must stay in this room," he said, before leaving.
Diala was terribly, terribly worried about Harbi, but she had no choice. When Diala was sure they were all gone, she looked to Amal.
"We must find the men."
"Yes."
Still carrying Ayala, Diala with Amal went through the house where everything was upended, many things were smashed and the lounge suite was slashed open. They went from room to room but saw no sign of the men, except Diala found a plastic bag with their mobiles where she noticed the time was 5.32. Diala, with Amal, went to her own home where she found Abdallah and Yamen, both blindfolded with their wrists bound with zip ties. Diala went to her kitchen to get scissors to cut those ties.
"Do you know where Harbi is?" she asked.
"They must have taken him," Abdallah said.
Diala felt her eyes watering. That on top of everything else was too much.
