Palestinian with Down syndrome abused by Israeli troops

HEBRON, Palestine

"A soldier handcuffed me and took me to the Al-Debwaya police station," said Mohamed al-Tawil, a young Palestinian man with Down syndrome, to Anadolu Agency on Thursday.

Al-Tawil, 29, was detained for one hour at a commercial complex in central Hebron on Sunday.

"They beat me there and then left me," he said.

Despite the abuse he suffered, the young man continues to roam Hebron’s Old City district, where dozens of Israeli soldiers have been deployed at checkpoints to protect Jewish settlers.

Some 800 Israeli settlers currently live in the Old City district of Hebron, 20 percent of which is under Israeli control while the other 80 percent is controlled by the Palestinian Authority.

Al-Tewil’s father, Khedir, told Anadolu Agency that his son -- despite his medical condition -- was known for wandering the streets of the city.

"He is well-known among the residents of Al-Khalil [Hebron] -- and among most of the Israeli soldiers in the Old City," he said.

"Despite the army’s awareness of his condition, they nevertheless detained and beat him," he added.

The young man’s father called on human rights groups to intervene to stop the Israeli army’s mistreatment of the city’s Palestinian inhabitants -- especially those with special needs.

Photos of al-Tewil’s brief arrest were widely shared on Arab social media where they drew widespread condemnation.

The incident occurred amid mounting tension across the Palestinian territories following U.S. President Donald Trump’s decision last week to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital, and move the U.S. Embassy from Tel Aviv to the holy city.

Jerusalem remains at the heart of the Middle East conflict, with Palestinians hoping that East Jerusalem -- occupied by Israel since 1967 -- might eventually serve as the capital of an independent state of Palestine.

Reporting by Qais Abu Samra:Writing by Mahmoud Barakat