In a disgusting low, even for Israeli soldiers, a Palestinian man with Down syndrome was detained and beaten.
"A soldier handcuffed me and took me to the Al-Debwaya police station," Mohamed al-Tawil, 29, told Turkey's Anadolu Agency.
"They beat me there and then left me," he said.
According to Al-Tawil's father, Khedir, his son is well-known by locals and the Israeli soldiers patrolling the Old City district of Hebron, where the family resides. He said his son constantly wanders the historic district.
"He is well-known among the residents of Al-Khalil [Hebron] -- and among most of the Israeli soldiers in the Old City," the father said.
"Despite the army’s awareness of his condition, they nevertheless detained and beat him," he added.
In light of his son's arrest, Khedir has called on human rights groups and the international community to intervene and stop the Israeli military's abuse of Palestinians with special needs.
The Turkey-based International Down Syndrome Federation denounced the incident, condemning the horrific action by Israeli soldiers.
"Rude behavior shown to a young boy with Down syndrome, to our son, and his arrest is actually a country's insult to humanity [sic]," Muhammed Abdullah Tuncay, the federation's head, said, according to Daily Sabah. He described photos of the incident as portraying "the end of humanity."
Tuncay also said that his organization will work to bring the boy and his family to Istanbul, so they can receive psychological counseling following the assault.