Children not spared in Israel's new war


October 20, 2015
Sarah Benton

This posting has 4 items:
1) DCI-P: Five Palestinian children killed over the past three days, a report October 12th), now outdated, on the number of children killed.;
2) Humanize Palestine” In memory: Ahmad Abdullah Sharaka one example of a child killed memorialised by a group/website that aims to give names and faces to the grim statistics;
3) DCI-P More than 48 Palestinian children injured in week of violence, Defence for Children International-Palestine gives some particulars;;
4) Salon: Benjamin Netanyahu goes too far, again: This has become a war on Palestinian children.

Rahaf Hassan, 3, and her 30-year-old mother, Noor Hassan, who was five-months pregnant, were killed on Sunday October 11th when their house near Gaza city collapsed on top of them after an IDF airstrike. Photo by Wisam Nasser/Al Jazeera

Five Palestinian children killed over the past three days

By Defence for Children International – Palestine
October 12, 2015

Defence for Children International – Palestine confirmed five Palestinian children died at the hands of Israeli forces in separate incidents across the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip over the past three days.

Israeli forces used lethal forces to quash a protest near Gaza’s border with Israel, east of the southern Gaza town of Khan Younis, on Saturday. DCIP sources said that Marwan Hashem Barbakh, 10, died of a single gunshot wound to the chest. Another youth, Khalil Omar Othman, died from a bullet to the chest and another to the stomach. He had just turned 18 that day.

The deadly incident was the second in as many days. Israeli forces killed seven Palestinians and injured more than 60 on Friday near the border fence, according to media reports.

On Sunday, Israel carried out a predawn air strike south of Gaza City that collapsed a home on the Hassan family of four, according to witnesses. Rahaf, 3, and her pregnant mother, Nour, died. Her father, Yahya, and brother, Mohammad, 4, sustained injuries.

Late afternoon on Sunday, Israeli forces shot Ahmad Abdullah Sharaka, 14, during clashes near an army checkpoint in the West Bank town of Al-Bireh. The rubber-coated metal bullet struck him behind the left ear. Doctors at the Palestine Medical Complex pronounced him dead from a severe brain hemorrhage about an hour after he arrived.

“It’s now a matter of when the next Palestinian child fatality will occur and not if it will take place,” said Ayed Abu Eqtaish, Accountability Program director at DCIP. “The complete disregard for human life that Israeli soldiers exhibit suggests that the use of lethal force is their standard operating procedure whatever the circumstance.”

Tensions over access to the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City escalated into tit-for-tat lethal attacks across East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied West Bank. The mosque lies in a compound known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount. Both faiths consider the site sacred.

On Monday morning, Israeli police gunned down Mustafa Adel al-Khatib, 17, near the Old City in Jerusalem, after he allegedly attempted to stab one of their officers. DCIP is still investigating the circumstances.

The incident followed Saturday’s fatal shooting of another Palestinian teenager, Izhaq Qasem Badran, 16, who stabbed two Israeli citizens near Jerusalem’s Old City. Witnesses said that Israeli police prevented paramedics from treating him at the scene.

Israeli and Palestinian media reported that Israeli police shot dead a Palestinian boy and seriously injured another in the Israeli settlement of Pisgat Ze’ev in East Jerusalem on Monday afternoon. The police alleged they tried to stab an Israeli boy. DCIP is confirming the details.

DCIP has confirmed six child fatalities so far this month. The first among them was Abdel-Rahman Obeidallah, 13, who took a single bullet to the chest at Aida refugee camp, north of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, on October 5. A preliminary Israeli army investigation found that he was shot by mistake, according to Israeli news media.

At least 65 Palestinian children have been injured since the start of October, based on DCIP’s initial data.

In recent weeks, Israeli officials amended open-fire rules to allow Israeli forces to fire live ammunition during protests in Jerusalem when there is a “threat to life.” Previously, the regulations permitted live ammunition only when there is a direct, mortal threat to the life of a police officer or soldier.

The move comes as Israeli ministers approved harsher sentencing guidelines and fines for stone-throwers.



IN MEMORY: AHMAD ABDULLAH SHARAKA

Humanize Palestine
October 14, 2015

Ahmad Abdullah Sharaka, 13 years old, was killed on Sunday October 11, 2015 by Israeli soldiers during clashes near the Beit El settlement.

He was rushed to the Palestinian Medical Complex in Ramallah where doctors operated on him, before he succumbed to his wounds.

According to Electronic Intifada, Ahmad quit school two years ago and his main focus became attending protests and confrontations in defiance of his family’s appeals. “He was committed to the struggle from a very young age,” his mother told The Electronic Intifada.

Ahmad’s family is from from the ethnically cleansed village of Beit Nabala near Lydd, in present-day Israel. His family lives in Jalazone refugee camp (north of Ramallah, in the West Bank), but Ahmad dreamed of returning to his ancestral home. Qassam Dweik, Ahmad’s best friend, states, “Ahmad was not just the son of Jalzone refugee camp; he didn’t sacrifice his life for this or that political faction. He was the son of all of Palestine.”

Ahmad leaves behind his twin sister, Haneen, who finds it hard to accept that her other half is no longer alive.

“Ahmad’s friends remember him as incredibly generous and funny. He used to take them to the swimming pool and pay the fees himself.

Ahmad taught himself to swim. That’s no small feat for someone living in the crowded camps where there is little space for recreation. While his friends would find it hard to swim, Ahmad would encourage them and push them to continue and do their best.”

Ahmad’s funeral was attended by thousands.

Sources:  Electronic Intifada, Al Jazeera, DCI – Palestine, Ma’an News




Relatives and friends bid farewell to Ahmad Sharaka aged 17 and active in opposing Israeli control, in Jalazone refugee camp on 12 October. Photo by Oren Ziv, ActiveStills


More than 48 Palestinian children injured in week of violence

By Defence for Children International-Palestine
October 08, 2015

Ramallah—Jewish settlers shot two Palestinian teenagers, critically wounding one of them, during clashes at the Hilwa Tomb bridge, near the West Bank town of Beit Sahour, on Wednesday.

Mujahid Abu Sarhan, 17, sustained a gunshot wound to the chest. Mujahid’s father, Naim, told DCIP that his son underwent surgery and remains in a critical condition. Also injured was Suhaib Hasasneh, 15, who took a bullet to the right leg. Doctors described his condition as stable.

Defence for Children International – Palestine is investigating the circumstances that led to the shooting amid conflicting reports.

A growing number of Palestinian children and their families live in West Bank villages and towns hemmed in by expanding and often violent Israeli settler communities. Israeli soldiers, police, and private security firms protect settler populations at the expense of Palestinian civilians.

According to the UN Office of the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), violence perpetrated by settlers resulted in 53 Palestinian casualties between January and September this year.

“Israeli officials have been encouraging those with gun licenses to carry firearms, including many settlers who have government-issued arms, and relaxing rules on the use of live ammunition by Israeli forces,” said Ayed Abu Eqtaish, Accountability Program director at DCIP. “In this hyper-militarized environment, without a semblance of accountability for wrongdoing, disproportionate violence is inflicted on Palestinian children.”

On Tuesday, Israeli forces shot and seriously wounded Mohammad Omar Nakhleh, 17, at a checkpoint near Jalazoun refugee camp, north of the West Bank city of Ramallah, during clashes. The bullet went through his back and into his stomach.

Mohammad had severe blood loss, according to his medical report, and underwent surgery at the Palestine Medical Complex in Ramallah. Doctors described his condition as stable, but kept him under intensive care.

Tensions over access to the Al-Aqsa mosque in Jerusalem’s Old City escalated into lethal attacks across East Jerusalem and the rest of the occupied West Bank. The mosque lies in a compound known to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary and to Jews as the Temple Mount. Both faiths consider the site sacred.

Israeli forces shot dead a Palestinian boy near Aida refugee camp, north of the West Bank city of Bethlehem, on Monday. Witnesses said the boy was not involved in the confrontations taking place at the time.

A preliminary investigation by the Israeli army found that 13-year-old Abdel-Rahman Obeidallah was shot by mistake, according to Israeli news media. A senior army official said, “A Ruger bullet was fired and did not strike well,” Ynetnews, an Israeli news website, reported.

Hundreds of Palestinians have sustained injuries at the hands of Israeli forces over the past few days, according to news reports. At least 48 Palestinian children have been injured since Friday last week, based on DCIP’s initial data.

In the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Palestinian children have endured heightened levels of violence in recent years, as Israeli soldiers and police use excessive force to quash protests. Since 2014, 16 Palestinian children in the West Bank have died at the hands of Israeli forces, all except one with live ammunition. None of those children posed a direct, mortal threat to the life of the police officers or soldiers who shot them.

The failure of Israeli authorities to properly investigate and hold perpetrators accountable provides Israeli forces with tacit approval to inflict maximum harm.

In recent weeks, Israeli officials amended open-fire rules to allow Israeli forces to fire live ammunition during protests in Jerusalem when there is a “threat to life.” Previously, the regulations permitted live ammunition only when there is a direct, mortal threat to the life of a police officer or soldier. The move comes as Israeli officials also push forward stricter sentencing guidelines and fines for stone-throwers.



Benjamin Netanyahu goes too far, again: This has become a war on Palestinian children

Netanyahu promised a “harsh offensive.” New “live fire” rules have made for open season on Palestinian kids

By Brad Parker, Salon
October 13, 2015

Benjamin Netanyahu goes too far, again: This has become a war on Palestinian children
(Credit: Reuters/Menahem Kahana)
Last Monday, as tensions escalated throughout the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, Abdel-Rahman Shadi Khalil Obeidallah, 13, from Aida refugee camp in Bethlehem became one of the latest Palestinian children shot and killed by Israeli forces in circumstances that suggest a deliberate unlawful killing. While grave violations against Palestinian children by Israeli forces are a cornerstone of Israel’s seemingly permanent military occupation of the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip, recent policy changes combined with systemic impunity will inevitably amplify an already dire situation for Palestinian children.

Recently the Israeli prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, promised a “harsh offensive” in response to the latest protests against Israel’s occupation and violence. During the first week of October, suspected Palestinian gunmen killed two Israeli settlers near the West Bank village of Beit Furik. On Oct. 3, Israeli police gunned down Muhannad Halabi, a 19-year-old Palestinian law student, after he stabbed to death an off-duty Israeli soldier and a rabbi in Jerusalem’s Old City, according to news reports. Hours later, police shot dead Fadi Alloun, 18, near the Old City’s Damascus Gate in East Jerusalem for allegedly stabbing a 15-year-old Israeli boy. Video of the shooting depicts Israeli police officers opening fire on Alloun as a crowd of onlookers urges them on. On the evening of Oct. 4, Israeli forces killed Huthayfa Othman Suleiman, 18, during clashes near the West Bank city of Tulkarem, Palestinian media reported. And the list goes on.

Netanyahu’s pledge comes after Israeli authorities relaxed live-fire rules providing Israeli police a green light to use live ammunition against Palestinian stone throwers in Jerusalem whenever they decide a “threat to life” exists. This is a significant change as live ammunition was previously only justified when an individual posed a direct, mortal threat to an officer’s own life.

While international law requires that intentional lethal force be used only when absolutely unavoidable, investigations by Defence for Children International–Palestine (DCIP) regularly find that children posed no direct, mortal threat to the life of any police officer or soldier at the time they were killed.

For example, on May 15, 2014, two Palestinian teenagers, Nadeem Siam Nawara, 17, and Mohammad Mahmoud Odeh Salameh Abu Daher, 16, were shot and killed by Israeli forces near Israel’s Ofer military prison in the West Bank. Nadeem sustained a fatal gunshot wound to the chest, and Mohammad was shot in the back about an hour later in nearly the same spot. CCTV cameras, fixed on the building where the boys were shot, captured the fatal shootings, and reaffirmed that neither boy posed any lethal or imminent threat to Israeli forces at the time they were killed.

Recent changes to live-fire rules must be seen against the broader context of prolonged Israeli military occupation of Palestinians living in the West Bank and Jerusalem, where Palestinian children have endured heightened levels of violence in recent years as Israeli soldiers and police increasingly use excessive force to quash protests. Since 2014, at least 16 Palestinian children have died there at the hands of Israeli forces, all except one with live ammunition, according to evidence collected by DCIP. Only one incident resulted in both an investigation and indictment.

In a context where violent crimes against Palestinians by Israeli forces go unpunished and are often completely ignored by Israeli authorities, the relaxation of live-fire rules provide the Israeli military and police with tacit approval to inflict maximum harm.

At least 48 Palestinian children were injured in the first week of October, based on DCIP’s initial data. On Sunday, Israeli forces killed 14-year-old Ahmad Sharaka with live ammunition during demonstrations near the Jewish-only settlement of Beit El outside Ramallah in the occupied West Bank. He was the twenty-fourth Palestinian to be killed in October.

Even before the live-fire standard was lowered, the misuse of sponge-tipped plastic bullets by Israeli border police during clashes with Palestinian youth in East Jerusalem resulted in serious injuries to three children in September, according to documentation by DCIP. None of the children injured participated in the confrontations. These injuries followed the death of Mohammad Sunukrut, 16, in September 2014.

This past September marked fifteen years since the outbreak of the second intifada. During that time, Israeli forces and settlers have killed at least 1,997 Palestinian children, while survivors have had their futures stifled and suppressed by systemic discrimination, constant settlement expansion, and prolonged military occupation.

Children now represent 46.2 percent of the 4.68 million Palestinians living in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, and Israeli leadership seems more intent than ever to rely on the use of excessive force to manage an unjust, oppressive, and entirely unsustainable military occupation. The need for justice and accountability is urgent, yet unlikely to occur any time soon. Israeli officials must prohibit the use of excessive force against unarmed Palestinians, and ensure that Israeli forces at all times act in accordance with international law.

Brad Parker is a lawyerand international advocacy officer with Defence for Children International–Palestine, an independent, local Palestinian child rights organization based in Ramallah dedicated to defending and promoting the rights of children living in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, and the Gaza Strip.

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