Some 340 Palestinian children shot by Israel during the Intifada
Palestine-Israel, Politics, 10/7/2002

Two non- governmental organizations for defense of the rights of the Palestinians announced on Friday that the number of Palestinian children victims of the Israeli aggressions since the eruption of the Palestinian Intifada reached 340, most of them shot by the Israeli forces during times of "calm" outside the context of confrontations and demonstrations.

In a press statement in Geneva, the representative for the Palestinian branch for "Defense for Children International " organization and "Early child hood resource center," Adam Haneya and Suleima al-Haj respectively announced that the number of the Palestinian youths aging between 14 to 17 year old and held in detention camps in Israel reached 350. The number of wounded Palestinian teenager is estimated at 7,000.

Al-Haj said that "83 percent of the children who were killed were not involved in any clashes and were killed in places which were supposed to be secure for them." She continued that the other 18 percent where killed in demonstrations while they were throwing stones or chanting slogans." However, there was no fire during these times.

She described the Israeli allegation which said that the Palestinian children were used deliberately as human shields were "baseless imagination." She added that 95 percent of the detained youths were arrested because they were throwing stones and were often sentenced to periods of imprisonment ranging between 6 to 12 months, according to the Israeli military law.

The two representatives of the two organizations in Geneva on the occasion of convening the UN committee for human rights which discussed a report debated by Israel on the extent of its commitment to the 1990 agreement on the Right of the Child. The UN has called on Israel and the Palestinians to stop using children or "targeting them " in a conflict which is witnessing "acts of terrorism from both sides." The UN committee expressed its regret because Israel delayed for seven years to submit its report which is of 380 page in which it gave no mention to the Palestinian children who live under its military occupation.

The chairman of the committee, the Dutch Jacob Dweik, said in a press conference that the "Israel and its government are responsible for all children who are in the confines of its judiciary authorities" which means including the Palestinian territories."

Previous Stories:
  Confrontations in all territories, Israel kills one Palestinian, detains scores   (10/5/2002)
  Israeli lawyer defends Palestinian leader Barghouti   (10/4/2002)
  Israel continues oppression operations against the Palestinians   (10/4/2002)
  Abu Mazin: I did not meet with the chairman of the Israeli Mossad   (10/3/2002)

Please add a link on your webiste pointing to ArabicNews.com and bookmark ArabicNews.com & subscribe to our daily email news bulletin.

Search