Hours after her release from an Israeli prison as part of the hostage release deal with Hamas, Palestinian activist Ahed Tamimi told Palestinian media that the Shin Bet threatened to kill her imprisoned father if she spoke out after her arrest.
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"Our joy over the release isn’t wholehearted after we learned about the number of casualties in Gaza since we were disconnected from news inside the prison," she also said.
In statements to the media after her release, Tamimi said that she left behind 30 Palestinians in Israeli prisons who are abused daily.
"They have no food or medicine, and nothing to sleep on. They sleep on the floor," she said. "There are also 10 prisoners who were recently arrested from Gaza. They left their children. Their condition was very bad, and the occupation’s forces beat them."
Tamimi also claimed she was threatened by the Shin Bet not to speak out after her release, and that they allegedly told her that her father was in prison and would be killed if she did so. She emphasized that the Palestinians are "stronger than the occupation" and these threats will not affect them – saying they will continue their struggle.
Tamimi, a 22-year-old resident of Nabi Salih near Ramallah, was arrested at the beginning of November following an inciting post she published on her Instagram account, and was released as part of the hostage release agreement with Hamas.
"Our message to the settlers - we are waiting for you in every city of the West Bank, from Hebron to Jenin. We will slit your throats, and you will say that what Hitler did to you was a joke. We'll drink your blood and eat your skulls. Come on, we'll wait for you," the post said.
Tamimi, who’s considered a Palestinian symbol, gained recognition after the release of a video in which she slapped an IDF officer in 2017, leading to an eight-month prison sentence. In the post that led to her arrest this month, she wrote: "Waiting for you in all the cities of the West Bank - from Hebron to Jenin. We’ll slaughter you, and you will say that what Hitler did to you was a joke. We’ll drink your blood and eat your skulls. Come on, we’re waiting for you."