DCI: 31 Palestinian Chidren Killed by Israeli Army Since Start Of 2016

Ramallah, 19 Dzulhijjah 1437/21 September 2016 (MINA) – 31 Palestinian children were killed by the Israeli occupation army since the start of 2016, five among whom killed in no more than 10 days, Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCI) reported Tuesday.

DCI said in a press statement that it kept record of Israel’s murder of 15-year-old Abdul Rahman Dabagh, from the Bureij refugee camp in the blockaded Gaza Strip.

The child was directly hit with a flare bomb in his left eye during a march in his hometown on September 9, The Palestinian Information Center (PIC) reported.

Faris Mousa Khadour, 17, was also killed by the occupation army near the Israeli illegal settlement of Kiryat Arba, in al-Khalil, on September 16 on allegations of attempting to carry out an anti-occupation car-ramming attack.

On the same day, the Israeli soldiers took away the life of 15-year-old Muhammad al-Rajabi near the Gilbert military checkpoint, in the Old City of al-Khalil on allegations of an anti-occupation stabbing attempt.

DCI further documented Israel’s murder of Ameer al-Rajabi, 16, on September 19, after Israeli military forces shot him on claims of a stabbing attempt; just one day later, the Israeli soldiers shot and killed 15-year-old Issa Tarayreh near the main entrance to Bani Na’im town, in al-Khalil.

DCI spoke out against Israel’s policy of “shoot to kill” saying it rather amounts to extrajudicial killing. Accountability Program Director Ayed Abu Eqtaish said most of the minor casualties were killed on account of attempting to stab Israeli soldiers.

However, probes by DCI prove that several cases of murder could have been avoided as the children posed no threat to the occupation army. He dubbed Israel’s arbitrary killing of children cases as “extrajudicial murder.” (T/P008/R07)

Mi’raj Islamic News Agency (MINA)