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Killing of Mohammad Bhar

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Killing of Mohammad Bhar
Part of the Israel–Hamas war
Photo of Mohammad Bhar in his room
Killing of Mohammad Bhar is located in State of Palestine
Killing of Mohammad Bhar
Killing of Mohammad Bhar (State of Palestine)
LocationShuja'iyya, Gaza City, Gaza Strip
Coordinates31°30′02″N 34°28′12″E / 31.50056°N 34.47000°E / 31.50056; 34.47000
Date3 July 2024 (2024-07-03)
Attack type
Dog attack
Deaths1
PerpetratorsIsraeli Ground Forces

Mohammad Bhar (Arabic: محمد بهار; 2000 – July 2024) was a 24-year-old Palestinian with Down syndrome and autism who, according to his family, died after being mauled by an Israeli military dog. Following the attack, the family was separated from him and after several hours forced from the house, leaving Bhar locked in a room under the supervision of Israeli forces. At some point he was attended by an Israeli doctor. He was found dead a week later. The incident occurred during a raid on the family's house in the Gaza Strip during the Second Battle of Shuja'iyya in the Israel-Hamas war.

Mohammad Bhar was a Palestinian born in the Gaza Strip in 2000. He had Down syndrome and autism, and was deeply attached to his mother, who was widowed in 2002, when her husband was killed by Israeli forces.[1] Since the Israel-Hamas war erupted in late 2023, the Bhar family said they had been displaced at least six times[2] and that they had to evacuate 15 times to escape the bombing.[3]

On 3 July 2024, the family said that a week after they had been trapped in a relative's home, Israeli forces raided the place with a combat dog, which proceeded to maul Mohammad's arm and chest.[2] Mohammad, who had speech difficulties and could only utter simple words,[1] [4] started screaming and pleading at the dog to stop, according to the family.[2] The family described how Israeli forces then separated Mohammad from them to another room, where a military doctor arrived.[3] They added that the Israeli forces later led them out of the house at gunpoint and prevented them from returning there until a week later, when they found Mohammad's bloodied, decaying body on the floor with worms starting to eat his face.[3][2] A tourniquet was found on his arm.[2][3]

Mohammad's killing provoked outrage on social media websites, with his family demanding an investigation into the incident.[5] The Israeli military said that they were looking into the reports.[3] The BBC, which reported on the incident, was criticized for a headline that was considered as obscuring the Israeli military's responsibility in the incident, and the late mention of the attack in its article;[6] the headline was later changed.[7]

Background

Mohammad Bhar was a Palestinian born in the Gaza Strip in 2000. He had Down syndrome and autism, and suffered bullying and beating in school.[3] According to his family, Bhar liked to dance, play sports, and eat mulukhiyah, which is a popular dish in Palestinian cuisine.[1] He was also deeply attached to his mother, Nabila, a widow who had lost her husband after he was killed by the Israeli military during a raid in eastern Gaza City in 2002.[1]

By 2023, Bhar was unable to move without assistance from his family members and spent most of the time sitting in his armchair.[3] His mother, Nabila, a widow, told the BBC that "He didn’t know how to eat, drink, or change his clothes. I’m the one who changed his nappies. I’m the one who fed him. He didn’t know how to do anything by himself."[3][5]

Killing

Since the start of the Israeli invasion of the Gaza Strip of the Israel-Hamas war, Bhar's family said they had been displaced at least six times[2] and had to evacuate 15 times, escaping from Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip.[3] By July 2024, they were hiding at one of their relatives' house in the Shuja'iyya neighborhood of Gaza City, where the Israeli military was in pursuit of Hamas fighters.[3] The Bhar family said they were under siege for seven days as Israeli forces surrounded the house, and that Mohammad panicked at the sounds of shells and fighter jets surrounding them.[3][8]

On 3 July 2024, the family said an Israeli military unit raided their house on Nazaz Street, consisting of several dozen soldiers and a combat dog used to check for explosives.[3][5] Mohammad's mother Nabila recalled that the Israeli forces smashed everything in the house when they broke in and arrived in their room, who told the forces that "He’s disabled, disabled. Have mercy on him, he’s disabled. Keep the dog away from him."[3][9][8]

His mother also recalled how the dog then proceeded to attack Mohammad, biting his chest and hand, leaving him bleeding. She said that Mohammad, who had speech difficulties,[1][8] was screaming at the dog, saying: "wala, wala [hey you]," and at other times, "Khalas ya habibi’ [enough, my dear]."[2] The mother said that Israeli soldiers then took Mohammad to another room away from the dog, while pointing their guns at the rest of the family and telling them that a military doctor would soon arrive. After several hours, Israeli soldiers ordered the Bhar family to leave at gunpoint, and arrested two of Mohammad's brothers, who were not released by 17 July 2024, according to the family. The rest of the family said they sought shelter at a damaged building nearby.[3][9]

The Bhar family tried to contact the Palestine Red Crescent Society to ask for their assistance, but were informed that the Israeli authorities were not cooperating with their requests.[5] The family said they later returned to the house a week later and found Mohammad's bloodied body lying on the floor and beginning to decay, with worms starting to eat his face.[3][2] They also said that a tourniquet was found on his arm, having been left to die by Israeli forces, without stitching his wounds or providing any care.[2] The BBC reported that the immediate cause of death was unclear.[3] Mohammad was buried in an alley near the house, as it was dangerous to go and bury him in a graveyard, according to the family.[3][10]

Aftermath

Mohammad Bhar's killing provoked outrage on social media websites,[5] and his family demanded an investigation into his killing.[3] The Israeli military said in response to a BBC query that they were looking into the reports.[3] His mother Nabila, who was 70 years old at the time of the incident, told the BBC that:[3]

This scene I will never forget… I constantly see the dog tearing at him and his hand, and the blood pouring from his hand… It is always in front of my eyes, never leaving me for a moment. We couldn't save him, neither from them nor from the dog.

A similar incident was reported a month prior to Mohammad's killing: Al Jazeera posted footage from a camera attached to a dog accompanying Israeli forces, that showed it dragging and biting an elderly Palestinian woman in her home.[2]

The BBC's report was criticized because the headline was considered to be obscuring the Israeli military's responsibility in the incident; the headline was later changed.[7] The article was also criticized for not mentioning the attack until the article's 16th paragraph.[6]

Parents from Israel whose children have Down syndrome protested in Tel Aviv, Israel after reports of his death.[11]

See also

References

  1. ^ a b c d e "Gazan man with Down syndrome found dead after Israeli military dog attack". The National. 17 July 2024. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g h i j "Gaza: Palestinian with Down syndrome 'left to die' by Israeli soldiers after combat dog attack". Middle East Eye. 16 July 2024. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  3. ^ a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p q r s t "Gaza man with Down's syndrome attacked by IDF dog and left to die, mother tells BBC". BBC. 16 July 2024. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  4. ^ Gazan man with Down’s syndrome mauled by Israeli army dog, left to die, family says
  5. ^ a b c d e "Gaza man with Down's syndrome mauled by Israeli attack dog and left to die, family says". The Independent. 17 July 2024. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  6. ^ a b "Activists decry BBC coverage of Israel's killing of Palestinian man with Down's syndrome in Gaza". The New Arab. 17 July 2024. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  7. ^ a b "BBC changes headline of Gazan boy with Down's syndrome after criticism". Al Bawaba. 17 July 2024. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  8. ^ a b c ""نهش الكلب ذراعه حيا".. عائلة شاب فلسطيني مصاب بمتلازمة داون تروي كيف قتله جنود الاحتلال (فيديو)". Al Jazeera (in Arabic). 17 July 2024. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  9. ^ a b ""I can't stop thinking of his screams": The "Israeli" killing of man with Down Syndrome". Ro'ya. 17 July 2024. Archived from the original on 17 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  10. ^ "«سيبني يا حبيبي خلص".. قصة فلسطيني من متلازمة داون نهشته كلاب الاحتلال". Dostor (in Arabic). 17 July 2024. Archived from the original on 18 July 2024. Retrieved 17 July 2024.
  11. ^ Dayan, Linda (July 17, 2024). "Israeli parents of children with special needs protest death of young Palestinian". Haaretz. Retrieved July 18, 2024. Israeli parents of Down syndrome children are protesting the death of Mohammad Bhar, a young man with the condition, who according to reports was attacked by an IDF dog and left for dead.
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