Karmel Muhammad Shaker al-Khawaja

‘You are a thorn in their side’

This afternoon, I visited Damon Prison in the upper Carmel Mountains to meet with prisoner Karmel Muhammad Shaker al-Khawaja (born 23 January 2004), a university student in her fourth year of general administration at Birzeit University, from Na'alin/Ramallah.

When I entered the lawyer's meeting room, she smiled and said: Tell everyone, treat me like one of them, ‘Kholia’ (a Hebrew word used to refer to the prisoner who distributes food among the cells in the prison), take care of the pregnant women and cancer patients, and give my regards to my mother and tell her to stay strong. I'm leaving, commander.

She told me about her cellmates in cell number 2 (Samia Jwaida, Sally Sadaka, Zahraa Kawasba, and Sanaa Daqa – she arrived today and is doing well) and the other prisoners in the detention centre.

I started delivering messages and greetings to the family. Let's not waste time. To her uncles Khalil and Ramez: ‘I miss drinking coffee with my uncles and fighting with my uncle Khalil. I miss his touch. Tell my mum to buy a gift in my name for my uncle Ramez's fiancée.’ A special greeting to her sister: ‘I do the laundry for the ward and distribute food to 11 rooms.’

She asked for her greetings to be conveyed to Ahed and her aunts: ‘Be strong and don't cry for my mother.’ She also sent her greetings to Makbula al-Barghouti, her university colleagues, and everyone who discussed her graduation project: ‘Stay strong.’ She also sent her congratulations to Ahmad on his engagement.

She sent her regards to her father and her brother Tareq, saying, ‘I dreamed twice about Tareq's son Mohammed,’ as she wept bitterly. She also sent her regards to Adam, Shaker, Yafa, Haifa, Lucine, Mahmoud, Mohammed, and her uncle Sami.

She told me the details of her arrest: on the night of 02.03.2025 from her grandmother's house in the village of ‘Deir Qadis,’ and about

the poor conditions in Damon Prison, her 19-day sentence, half of which was punishment and the rest solitary confinement. (She was handcuffed throughout the visit – restrictions imposed after 7 October), the break was less than an hour, ‘they stole from her’, they took us out for the break in handcuffs, and there was a mean female prison guard who wouldn't move and hit us all the time.

I dreamt of Dalya Hanatsha, ‘wearing the clothes she used to wear in prison, and God willing, I will be released soon and we will return to how we were before, even better.’

I am fine, do not worry, the section says, ‘You are a thorn, a thorn in their throats.’

Peace, as promised, and every year, everyone is well.

To you, my dear Karamela/Karamela/Koko/Karmoula, my warmest regards, and freedom to you and all the free women of Damoun.

Haifa, 4 June 2025