A young child has been handed back to his mother with apparent burn marks on his legs following an encounter with Israeli forces, as his relatives allege mistreatment. Jawad Abu Nassar, just 21 months old, was taken into custody along with his father, Osama Abu Nassar, 25, in central Gaza a week ago. However, he was released back to his family alone after 10 hours. The Israeli military has firmly denied the accusations, stating that Jawad’s father, who is currently missing, was linked to Hamas and purportedly used his child as a shield.
According to the family, Osama had taken his son out around 10am on March 19 to purchase sweets before the Eid al-Fitr holiday. Osama had been struggling with significant trauma after losing his home, an unborn child, and his means of living during the conflict.
Muhammed, the grandfather of the child, recounted that neighbors alerted him when they saw Osama heading in an unusual direction with his son on his shoulders. The area where the incident occurred, about 200 meters from their residence in Maghazi refugee camp, is close to the Israeli-controlled ‘Yellow Line’, a restricted zone where civilians face potential danger.
After being informed of his son’s detention, Muhammed left his contact details at al-Aqsa Martyrs Hospital in Deir al-Balah, hoping to be notified if his son and grandson were brought in. Approximately 10 hours later, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) contacted him to inform him that they had his grandson. Muhammed rushed to the hospital with the child’s mother and found the ICRC vehicles waiting. The child was handed over to them wrapped in an emergency blanket, which revealed blood stains on his clothing. The ICRC did not comment on the child’s condition due to privacy concerns.
Muhammed mentioned that when they questioned the child about the blood, he could not provide a clear answer. Upon being asked about his father’s whereabouts, the child simply said, ‘Gone.’ Subsequently, when his mother checked him, she discovered wounds on his body. The family asserts that when they returned the child to the hospital the following day, medical professionals confirmed that the injuries were not from shrapnel or ammunition but appeared to be the result of torture and cigarette burns.
An official from the Israeli military dismissed the allegations of mistreatment, claiming that the child was brought into a hazardous area by a Hamas member as a human shield. The military stated that the child received proper care and supervision from Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) personnel until being handed over to the Red Cross. The IDF emphasized that they prioritized the child’s safety and provided necessary medical assistance.
