Israel extends detention of ill Palestinian teenager, says father

By AP 18 January 2022, 7:39 pm

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Muamar Nakhleh, father of Amal Nakhleh, a Palestinian teen with a rare neuromuscular disorder who has been held without charge for a year, shows his photo at his office in Ramallah, on January 10, 2022. (AP Photo/Majdi Mohammed)

Israel has extended the detention of a Palestinian teenager with a rare neuromuscular disorder who has been held without charge for a year in what authorities refer to as administrative detention, his father says.

Amal Nakhleh, who was detained in January 2021 and turned 18 this week, is one of just a handful of minors being held in administrative detention. He had a tumor removed from his lung in 2020 and suffers from myasthenia gravis, a nerve disorder that causes severe muscle fatigue.

His father, Muamar, confirms that his detention has been extended until mid-May. He says that Israel has yet to charge his son or provide any justification for detaining him.

“We are very worried about his health,” he says.

The IDF has said that the teenager was detained for “being involved with weapons and terrorist activity” without providing details.