On 9 March 2024, around 5:00 P.M., three military jeeps drove along a street in the southern neighborhood of Qabatiya, a town in Jenin District, where eight-year-old ‘Abdallah Saba’anah was playing with two younger relatives. According to the soldiers, the children threw stones at the jeeps and a stone hit the body of one of the jeeps. The jeeps turned around and drove back towards the children, who were scared and ran away to hide in a nearby home. Soldiers got out of one of the jeeps, chased the children into the house and forcefully removed ‘Abdallah.
The soldiers put ‘Abdallah in one of the jeeps and drove him to the entrance of a neighboring village, Misiliyah, where they let him out. A neighbor of the family who drove after the jeeps put ‘Abdallah in his car and started driving back to Qabatiya. On the way, he met ‘Abdallah’s father, Iyas Saba’anah, who heard from his wife what happened and came to pick up his son.
Iyas Saba’anah, 37, told B’Tselem field researcher Abdulkarim Sadi:
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‘Abdallah Saba’anah. Photo courtesy of the family
I was working on my farm when my wife called and told me soldiers had come into the neighborhood, arrested ‘Abdallah at the neighbors’ house and driven towards the village of Misiliyah. I dropped everything and drove there. I met my neighbor there, and ‘Abdallah was in his car. ‘Abdallah was pale and frightened. He told me the soldiers had asked his name and why he’d thrown stones at the jeep, and he told them he hadn’t thrown stones and was just playing with his friends.
