400 PALESTINIAN CHILDREN IN ISRAELI JAILS

Gaza, 11 Safar 1437/23 November 2015 (MINA) – The Palestinian Prisoners Society stated that around 400 Palestinian children, aged 11-14 years old, are imprisoned in the Israeli jails, some of whom were officially tried.

On Universal Children’s Day, the Society issued a statement pointing out that 11 Palestinian minors are under the Israeli administrative detention, including six girls, The Palestinian Information Center (PIC) quoted by Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA) as reporting.

The statement showed that a number of minors and kids were shot with live ammunition before they were arrested and taken to Israeli hospitals. 17-year-old Jalal Sharawna, for example, lost his leg.

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Harsh Conditions

The Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) have carried out hundreds of detention raids especially in October and November. 700 children have been arrested since the start of October, with the highest rates in Jerusalem and al-Khalil. Most of the children were conditionally released on bail, or under house arrest.

The Prisoners Society documented the cruel treatment the children were exposed to in Israeli jails. The treatments, according to the Society, are classified as crimes, including deliberate shooting, deprivation of food and water for one or two days, brutal beating, verbal abuse, and coercion. Moreover, the prisoners were kept in prisons unfit for humans, like Ajafon prison.

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Ahmed Al-Manasrah

The widespread video of Ahmad Al-Manasrah, 13, in the Israeli interrogation room is an example of the Israeli inhumane treatment of Palestinian children. The video showed Ahmed begging to be taken to a doctor or to have a lawyer which was met by threats and shouts by the Israeli police interrogators.

Pressure on Israel

On the occasion of Universal Children’s Day, the Palestinian Prisoners Society called upon the international children organizations to put pressure on Israel to stop the crimes against Palestinian children and to release the detained minors.

United Nations and Palestinian children

On the Universal Children’s Day, the UN said the world remains a ‘deeply unfair’ place for children. Although the UN slammed Israeli treatment of Palestinian children in detention, it has done almost nothing to protect their childhood or pressure Israeli to end its cruelty against Palestinians, especially the kids.

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There are four main Israeli prisons for the Palestinian children: Hasharon, Ofer, Megiddo, and Ajafon. According to Palestinian lawyers, Etzion prison has been one of the worst prisons for Palestinian children in terms of beating and torture.(T/P008/R03)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)