The occupation abuses a Jerusalemite child with Down syndrome and uses him as a human shield

The special health condition of the child Mahdi Abu Talib, who suffers from Down syndrome, did not prevent the occupation soldiers from practicing their sadism during their recent raid on Shuafat refugee camp, northeast of occupied Jerusalem. Local sources reported that the soldiers exploited the child's health condition and used him as a human shield during their military movements inside the camp's alleys, in a blatant violation of all international and humanitarian conventions.

Mohammed Abu Talib, the child's brother, recounts the harsh moments, noting that the assault left a deep psychological impact on Mahdi, who now fears leaving home or going to school. The family added that the child is currently suffering from severe sleep disturbances and involuntary urination, catastrophic symptoms that were not present before he was subjected to abuse by the invading force.

The incident began when Mohammed went out to meet his brother returning from school, only to be surprised by a military raid during which the soldiers chased the child Mahdi despite his brother's repeated shouts that he was a 'special case'. The soldiers completely ignored these calls, and one of them even hit Mohammed with the butt of his weapon on his head, causing a deep cut and severe bleeding, before kidnapping the child Mahdi again and dragging him on the ground.

Videos circulated documented the moment Mohammed hugged his brother in an attempt to protect him, but the occupation soldiers forcibly snatched the child and placed him inside a military vehicle for several minutes. The soldiers did not release Mahdi until the responsible officer claimed he was unaware of his mental condition, a justification rejected by the family, who confirmed that the child's features and movements were sufficient to realize his special situation.

Mahdi today lives in a state of insecurity, as he misses the hours he used to spend wandering with his brother, who always accompanied him to protect him from the dangers of the road. Mohammed says that the echo of his brother's screams calling 'Come... Come' to save him still wrenches his heart, especially since he was unable to move due to being surrounded by seven heavily armed soldiers pointing their rifles at him.

Shuafat refugee camp, where this crime occurred, is under continuous siege, separated by the apartheid wall and military checkpoint from the heart of Jerusalem, despite its residents holding Jerusalemite identity cards. Approximately 130,000 people live in the camp and its five neighborhoods, suffering from daily restrictions and sudden raids aimed at breaking the will of the residents and turning their lives into a continuous hell under the weight of security measures.

The area surrounding the camp and the neighboring town of Anata witnesses frequent closures, the latest of which was the installation of an iron gate in June of last year to control the movement of citizens. Movement in these areas is subject to the whims of the occupation soldiers stationed at checkpoints, which increases the suffering of thousands of Palestinians who are forced to cross these military points daily to reach their workplaces and educational centers.

Mahdi was calling out to me, 'Come... Come,' but I was surrounded by seven soldiers pointing their weapons at me, and I was bleeding from my head.