Ahmad Manasra, a 23-year-old Palestinian from East Jerusalem, was released after nearly a decade in Israeli prisons. Arrested at age 13, he was convicted of attempted murder despite court findings that he did not participate in the stabbings he was accused of. While imprisoned, Ahmad developed severe mental health issues, including schizophrenia and depression, and spent nearly two years in solitary confinement, described by rights groups as torture. His case prompted a 2016 Israeli law change allowing children as young as 12 to be imprisoned.
God of the captives, you know the depths of our sorrow, for like us, you “were despised and rejected; one who knew suffering and was familiar with pain; people despised you and looked away and considered you worthless” (Isaiah 53:3) We lift up Ahmad Manasra, your beloved child, whose youth was stolen by walls and cells, and all Palestinian children who have endured the cruelty of this occupation. We grieve the violence of a system that cages children and strips them of their future. May your healing surround him now, restoring what was taken. Let his release stir us to action, to tear down every structure that dehumanizes, and to build a world where no child is ever imprisoned again.
Lord in your mercy…hear our prayer