IDF denies reports of abuse of Gaza toddler, says father used him as a human shield

The IDF has flatly denied a report circulating online that a Gazan toddler was detained and abused by Israeli forces as part of an interrogation.

In recent days, Gaza media outlets affiliated with Hamas have reported that Karim Abu Nassar, a toddler, was detained together with his father near the Yellow Line in the central Gaza Strip. According to the reports, the child was abused while being held for several hours before being returned to his family without his father — who was arrested by Israeli forces — including allegations that cigarettes were extinguished on his legs, resulting in documented injuries.

In response to a query from The Times of Israel, the IDF says the claims are false and baseless. The military says that on Thursday, “troops identified a suspect approaching them in the Yellow Line area while holding a 3-year-old toddler. Despite calls to stop, the man continued advancing and posed an immediate threat, prompting warning shots that were fired along the side of the road.”

According to the IDF, fragments caused by the gunfire were likely responsible for the toddler’s injuries.

The IDF says the father admitted during questioning that he had brought his young son with him so that troops would not harm him. He was arrested after identifying himself as a Hamas operative and admitting that he had infiltrated Israeli territory during the October 7 massacre.

The military says the toddler underwent a medical examination, was provided with food and water, and was kept under continuous medical supervision before being transferred to representatives of the Red Cross after they located his family in Gaza. The IDF provided The Times of Israel with a video documenting the toddler’s handover to the Red Cross.

IDF soldiers hand over a Palestinian child to the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip on March 19, 2026. (Israel Defense Forces)