GAZA – The Defense for Children International (DCI) Palestine Branch said that the Israeli occupation forces killed 35 Palestinian children in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem in 2016.
Ayed Abu Eqtaish, Accountability Program Director at the Palestine section of the DCI, said that 2016 recorded the highest number of murders committed by Israeli forces against Palestinian children in the West Bank and Jerusalem in 12 years.
In 2015, the number of children killed in the Gaza Strip, the West Bank and Jerusalem had reached 26.
Israel grants immunity to the soldiers who commit these crimes in absolute disregard for the basic rights of children, according to the agency.
The Israeli judiciary system is also involved by announcing the acquittal of the Israeli police officers and soldiers who commit such crimes, although there is evidence that the children were directly killed without posing any kind of threat–encouraging others to do the same.
Eqtaish said that in some cases the soldiers are charged with “unintentional murder” or “failure to follow the required conditions” in an attempt to ease the gravity of the crimes.
The last murder case reported in 2016 was against Ahmad al-Rimawi, 17, who was killed by the IOF with live bullets on 18th December during confrontations in Beit Rima village to the northwest of Ramallah province.
According to the international law, the lethal force can be used only when there is an imminent threat or a serious injury, or to prevent a crime that poses a great threat to many lives.
Source: Palestinian children killed by Israeli forces reached decade high in 2016
