Autistic Gazan teen who was shot by army, treated at Israeli hospital sent back to Strip

A Palestinian teenager with autism who had been shot by the army in Gaza has been sent back to the Strip after being treated in an Israeli hospital for some two months, the Haaretz daily reports.

According to Haaretz, the 14-year-old, identified as Omar Yahya Al-Qarinawi, was shot by Israeli soldiers near an aid distribution site in the Netzarim Corridor area, in unclear circumstances. The soldiers then treated the teenager and decided to take him to Israel for medical treatment.

The wounded teen was airlifted to Sheba Hospital in central Israel, where he underwent several surgeries. Only when he began to recover from the surgeries did medical officials realise he had low-functioning autism, the report says.

Hospital officials managed to contact the teen’s family in Gaza thanks to a bracelet with his personal details, and they received his parents’ approval for the medical treatment, according to Haaretz.

Last week, upon recovering, he was sent back to Gaza via the Red Cross, unrelated to today’s release of Palestinian prisoners as part of the ceasefire deal.

The IDF does not immediately respond to a request for comment on the matter.

The Israeli occupation army has released Omar Yahya Al-Qarinawi, an 18-year-old Palestinian teen with autism, months after shooting and detaining him in central Gaza.
Al-Qarinawi, from Al-Bureij Camp, pic.twitter.com/iq6MZS9CX4

— Eye on Palestine (@EyeonPalestine) October 13, 2025

An earlier version of this live blog update cited a report that the teenager had been held in detention without charge for months. The post has been updated to reflect that the teenager was taken for medical treatment, not detained.