An Israeli soldier revealed that an occupation army officer friend of his kidnapped a Palestinian baby from the Gaza Strip, after her family was killed by the violent bombing launched by the Israeli occupation army on the Gaza Strip 3 months ago, according to what Anatolia Agency reported on Monday, January 1, 2024.

Concerning the same incident, another friend of the aforementioned officer spoke about the latter’s transfer of the Palestinian infant to a hospital in Israel, without mentioning the name of the hospital.

Private Shahar Mendelsohn also revealed the kidnapping incident, while speaking to Israeli occupation army radio on Sunday, December 31, 2023, about his friend, officer in the Givani Brigade, Harel Itach, who was killed in battles in the northern Gaza Strip on November 22 of last year.

In response to a question about the Palestinian baby, Mendelsohn said: “He (Itach) spoke with a friend during his period of service in Gaza and told him that in one of the houses he entered he heard the sound of a baby crying and that he decided to send her to Israel.”

While the soldier did not clarify the location of the house in which Itach found the Palestinian girl in the Gaza Strip. In response to a question whether the soldier found the baby crying and decided to send her to Israel, Mendelsohn replied: “He brought her to Israel.”

Regarding whether the baby's family was likely killed by an Israeli bombing and no one was around her, Mendelsohn responded: "Correct." The soldier or the Israeli occupation army radio did not clarify the fate of the Palestinian baby.

Meanwhile, the Palestinian Ministry of Health says that it is feared that thousands of Palestinians are still under the rubble as a result of the Israeli bombing.

It is not clear whether this was a single kidnapping incident or if there were similar incidents. Since the kidnapper's Israeli occupation army officer was killed on November 22, the kidnapping occurred before that date.

While the Israeli news website Ynet quoted one of the officer’s friends as saying during his funeral, on Sunday: “Harel told me that he heard a girl crying in Gaza (..) and made sure that she was transferred to a hospital in Israel to receive treatment,” without mentioning the name of the hospital.

While neither soldier mentioned the reason why the aforementioned officer did not hand over the child to Palestinian hospitals or families near the house.