He was shot and tied to the jeep: I screamed

 

The war between Israel and Hamas
Mujahid, 24, shot and tied to a jeep: "I screamed"

Fanny Westling

Published 2024-06-27 18.04

Palestinian Mujahid Abadi was shot and beaten by the Israeli military.

A few hours later, he was tied to the hood of a military jeep and driven around.

- I screamed, he tells AP from a hospital bed on the West Bank.
Quick version

•  Palestinian Mujahid Abadi was shot, beaten and tied to a military jeep by Israeli military in the West Bank.
• The Israeli military initially said Abadi was a soldier, but later admitted he posed no threat.
•  The incident was filmed and spread worldwide, which has sparked strong anger - both on social media and in politics.

It was when Mujahid Abadi, 24, stepped out the door to see if the Israeli forces had come to his uncle's quarters in Jenin, in the West Bank, that shots began to hail him.

- When I tried to return to the house, heavy and indiscriminate shooting was suddenly directed at me, he tells AP.

He was shot in the arm and hid behind a car. Then he was shot again in the foot.

Mujahid Abadi recounts to the AP that he lay bloody for several hours before Israeli soldiers found him, and then allegedly hit him in the head and face, and in the places where he had been shot.

Hours later, he was beaten and bloody, strapped to the engine head of an Israeli jeep.

- I screamed because of the heat. Then one of the soldiers started swearing at me to be quiet, he tells AP.

Pictures from inside an ambulance show how Muhajib was strapped and bleeding to the hood of an Israeli military jeep. Photo: Ibn Sina Emergency Center/AP

Film spread on social media

The Israeli army (IDF) initially said Abadi was a suspected militant, but then said he posed no threat to Israeli forces - but had been caught in the crossfire.

The IDF also says it is investigating the incident, and that it does not reflect its values.

They claim they tied Abadi to the hood of the jeep to transport him to paramedics. In footage obtained by the AP, the jeep drove past at least two ambulances. Abadi himself says he was strapped in for at least half an hour before being untied and receiving treatment.

The process was caught on film by an ambulance car camera and spread around the world, a film that aroused great anger both on social media and in big politics.

Matthew Miller, who is a US State Department spokesman, said the IDF must investigate what happened and hold people accountable.

Mujahid Abadi, 24, is being treated for gunshot and burn injuries at a West Bank hospital. Photo: Maya Alleruzzo/AP

Several bloody attacks last week

The war between Hamas and Israel, following the Hamas attack on Israel on October 7, is in its ninth month.

Aid organizations continue to raise the alarm abo ut acute shortages of medicines and medical equipment. MSF says they don't even have enough painkillers.

On the night of Tuesday, Israel carried out attacks on two school buildings and a residential building, killing at least 24 Palestinians. This weekend at least 101 Palestinians were killed after several Israeli attacks on various locations in Gaza City.

Two weeks ago, the UN released a report that singles out both Hamas and Israel as guilty of war crimes. It also shows that Israel has commited crimes against humanity in Gaza.

The IDF initially said Muhajid was a military suspect, but later admitted he posed no threat. Photo: Maya Alleruzzo/AP