[Blog] Torturing a toddler: the case of Karim Abu Nassar

These days, all eyes are riveted on the Iran war. Media are focusing on the American-Israeli attacks and the tit-for-tat retaliation by Iran.

Meanwhile, in the West Bank, ethnic cleansing is amplifying, settler violence is increasing, dispossession of lands is continuing, and IDF killing of civilians and children is ramping up.

On the other hand, in Gaza, genocide is being carried out covertly and extreme violations of human rights are taking place. One such case is that of Karim Abu Nassar, an 18-month-old toddler from the Al-Maghazi camp in Gaza. On or around 18 March 2026, the child was crying incessantly and, as a result of the Israeli restriction on the flow of humanitarian aid, no milk was available to quench his thirst.

His father, Osama Abu Nassar, took the baby with him and went to look for food. On the way, they came face to face with a platoon of Israeli soldiers who kidnapped both father and child. The latter was separated from the father, who was stripped and bound and interrogated highhandedly. As he did not have any information, he was not in a position to give any. But this did not satisfy the soldiers. They devised a plan so Machiavellian that it defies the very essence of the human soul. They brought 18-month-old Karim in front of his father, who was naked, bound, and trussed up. As soon as Karim saw his father, he yelled and rushed to seek comfort and security from his dad. But the soldiers held him apart. And can you imagine what they did?

They lit a cigarette and burned the baby on his leg. The child cried and cried, yelled and yelled, huge tears flowing on his cheeks, shouting “Papa, papa…”. The latter begged and begged, pleading to stop, not to harm the baby. “Do whatever you want with me, but don’t harm my child,” he begged. But to no avail. The torture continued. As if the burning was not enough, they used a nail to puncture his skin, all this in the presence of other soldiers, including female soldiers, who could be mothers themselves, who could have babies of this age or who could be aspiring to get married and become mothers soon. Not a single one budged. Not a single one said any word. They watched silently and enjoyed the scene. This is the height of cruelty and sadism.

After ten hours, the Israeli soldiers handed over the baby to the Red Crescent/Red Cross, which took cognizance of the signs of torture on the frail body of 18-month-old Karim and recorded them in their report. His father is still in detention, being tortured and interrogated. This case has fully been documented and appears in the report entitled “Institutionalized Torture” of UN Special Rapporteur Francesca Albanese (March 24). Media outlets like Al Jazeera, TRT World, and Times of India have echoed this inhumane case. The Western media, however, has remained largely silent on this heinous act of cruelty on a toddler.

Tonight, we would be tucking our child into bed to safety, humming lullabies to make them sleep, kissing them and hugging them to express our love and affection because they are the joys of our life. How would we feel, how heartbreaking would it be, how will we ache when we notice that the baby’s leg has been burnt by a brute’s cigarette and his skin punctured with a nail?

Azize Bankur