<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" standalone="yes"?><oembed><version><![CDATA[1.0]]></version><provider_name><![CDATA[Occupied Palestine | فلسطين]]></provider_name><provider_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com]]></provider_url><author_name><![CDATA[occupiedpalestine]]></author_name><author_url><![CDATA[https://occupiedpalestine.wordpress.com/author/hajarhajar/]]></author_url><title><![CDATA[Rights group: Israel holding boy nearly blinded by&nbsp;IOF]]></title><type><![CDATA[link]]></type><html><![CDATA[<p>[ 06/06/2011 &#8211; 05:00 PM ] </p>
<p><img src="https://i2.wp.com/www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/DataFiles%5CCache%5CTempImgs%5C2011%5C1%5Cimages_News_2011_06_06_okal_300_0.jpg" alt="" /></p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">NABLUS, (PIC)&#8211; A human rights group has revealed that the Israel Prison Service is detaining an ill Palestinian boy left nearly blind by Israeli occupation force soldiers.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">The development shows that the IPS has not restricted its medical neglect policy to adult prisoners alone.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">Ismail Turki Mohammed Okel, 16, from the Old City of Nablus was arrested a year back and sentenced to 20 months in jail.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">His mother says that Ismail was forced to leave school and provide for his family by working in a local restaurant after his brother passed away about six years ago.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">She said that earlier in 2002, Ismail was caught in a situation while playing ball with friends. After an Israeli soldier stationed nearby claimed to have been attacked by stones, patrol cars began searching for suspects; and they reportedly hit Okel with their vehicle under suspicion that he was behind the attack.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">Ismail&#8217;s mother Umm Rasmi asserted that the soldiers not only ran Oker down but they also assaulted him with the butts of their rifles, putting him in a coma for a week as he stayed at the Rafidia hospital in Nablus.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">The crash broke Oker&#8217;s skull and caused internal bleeding and broken teeth and back pains, and he also lost about 70 percent of his vision, ISHRO researcher Ahmed al-Beitawi said.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">Eight years after the incident, Oker was arrested by IOF soldiers on the Israeli Hawara checkpoint and taken to the Megiddo prison.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">Still suffering the effects of the incident in 2002, Oker is at stake of losing all of his vision if not provided treatment, Beitawi said.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">He said he has submitted several requests to see the prison medic but has not received any response yet.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">The youth also suffers from severe pain in his left foot after burns he sustained as a child.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">The IPS has banned visits by his mother since the detention period began in June 2010 for alleged security reasons.</p>
<p style="font-size:10pt;">International law bans the detention of minors in correctional rehabilitation facilities.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.palestine-info.co.uk/En/default.aspx?xyz=U6Qq7k%2bcOd87MDI46m9rUxJEpMO%2bi1s7aXA%2fn0bmAvkQRZAZYg%2bjtJPcs6XH9YgrBsqY0FMYq7lnkB4RbYzY4Tr03YwvaMCwUHEYjPVVdb2OZ5D776gJWnUZ0UJpigtPbt9jyaRUzpM%3d">Source</a></p>
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