Palestinian Children – Victims of Israeli Brutality

Palestinian Children – Victims of Israeli Brutality

By Talgha Bendie, The Center for Political and Development Studies, Gaza

The children of Palestine are often the ones who find themselves victims of Israel's policies. about 1456 Palestinian children have been shot dead by Israeli soldiers since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa uprising (Intifada) in 2000, according to the Palestinian Ministry of Information. Palestinian children in areas such as the occupied West Bank are also subjected to humiliating searches at military checkpoints when going to school or visiting friends or family. The Israeli army abduct and imprison Palestinian children with impunity.

In Gaza, countless orphans struggle without a mother or father as they were killed during Operation Cast Lead, one of the thousands of military strikes carried out by Israel over the last 64 years. Palestinian children also suffer from sleepless nights due to the fear of air strikes, post-war trauma and many more psychological problems.

The only crime which most Palestinian children are ''guilty'' of is throwing stones against one of the most brutal occupation forces the world has ever seen, and armed-to-the-teeth settlers who have forced them out of their homes. Many children arrested by Israel are subjected to brutal treatment inside Israeli jails.

Such is the case of Mohammad Shabrawi from the West Bank town of Tulkar, who was arrested in January 2011.

After being handcuffed with a plastic tie and blindfolded, Shabrawi was first taken to an Israeli settlement where he was humiliated in the dead of the night, being forced to kneel for hours on a gravel road. He was then taken to an Israeli prison in an unknown location. After a routine medical check, Shabrawi was taken to a cell where he spent 17 days in solitary confinement, apart from the interrogations that he was subjected to. Shabrawi is just 16 years of age!

The story of Shabrawi is nothing new. Countless Palestinian children have been subjected to this type of treatment by the Israeli Occupation forces. It is estimated that 500-700 children are arrested by Israel every year. Although there is international law protecting the rights of minors, Israel continues to put itself above international law, with impunity.

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