Israel is subjecting Palestinian children to physical and psychological abuse
Arrest of a Palestinian boy
Anjuman Rahman reports in Middle East Monitor:
“They destroyed the front door, entered my room, covered my face with a bag and took me away,” explained Abdullah. “They told my father that I would return the next day.” However, he did not return to his family until the following year and was detained six more times.
This is not uncommon in occupied Palestine where child prisoners are now a major part of the Palestinian narrative. Hundreds of children, some as young as 12, are detained and prosecuted in the Israeli military court system every year.
The most common charge is stone-throwing, which the Israeli military consider to be a “security offence”. Those found guilty can get up to 20 years in prison, depending on the child’s age.
Israel is the only country in the world to prosecute children routinely in military courts that lack basic safeguards for a fair trial. Moreover, Palestinian children detained by Israel face abuse and systematic torture, which has been legitimised by the judiciary and government.
The plight of these youngsters is well documented. The scale of the problem has been captured by NGO Save the Children in a new report.
There are currently at least 200 Palestinian children held in Israel’s Ofer, Damon and Megiddo Prisons. They include children with disabilities and mental health problems. Damon and Megiddo are seriously overcrowded, and child prisoners are kept in close proximity to each other in squalid and unsanitary conditions. There is little healthcare provision.