Human Rights Watch (HRW) issued a report on Monday, August
28, declaring that Israeli Occupation Forces have continued to kill increasing
amounts of Palestinian children in 2023.
اضافة اعلان
They state, “Last year, 2022, was the deadliest year for
Palestinian children in the West Bank in 15 years, and 2023 is on track to meet
or exceed 2022 levels. Israeli forces had killed at least 34 Palestinian
children in the
West Bank as of August 22. HRW investigated four fatal
shootings of Palestinian children by Israeli forces between November 2022 and
March 2023.”
Bill Van Esveld, associate children’s rights director at HRW
said, “Unless Israel’s allies, particularly the
United States, pressure Israel to change course, more Palestinian children will be killed.”
HRW’s investigations
HRW researchers conducted lengthy investigations including
numerous interviews with experts, victims, various rights groups, and
witnesses, as well as
CCTV evidence, medical records, and other primary
sources.
They investigated the case of
Mahmoud Al-Sadi, 17, killed by
Israeli forces as he walked to school near the Jenin refugee camp on November
21, 2022. The
Israeli military did not address his killing specifically but
said its forces had been conducting arrest raids in the camp, during which they
exchanged fire with Palestinian fighters. However, the nearest exchange of fire
occurred at one of the alleged fighter’s homes, about 320 meters away from
where Mahmoud was shot, based on residents’ statements.
HRW’s investigation made revealed that it was very unlikely
that Mahmoud was near the shootout, or that there were any Palestinian fighters
near him to excuse his death.
“The UN missed an opportunity to protect children by omitting Israel, HRW said. The Secretary-General should use objective criteria to determine the list for 2023.”
In the other cases investigated, the security forces killed
boys after they had joined other youths confronting Israeli forces with stones,
Molotov cocktails, or fireworks. While these projectiles can seriously injure
or kill, in these cases, Israeli forces fired repeatedly at chest-level,
hitting multiple children, and killed children in situations where they do not
appear to have been posing a threat of grievous injury or death, which is the
standard for the use of lethal force by law enforcement officers under
international norms. That would make these killings unlawful. Furthermore,
according to a statement made to HRW by Israeli police forces, they are only permitted
to open fire only if there is an “imminent risk to life or bodily integrity.”
One harrowing example was when an Israeli officer shot
Wadea Abu Ramuz, 17, from behind while he was with a group of youths throwing rocks
and launching fireworks at Border Police vehicles in East Jerusalem on January
25, 2023, two witnesses said. Another boy in the group was shot and wounded.
Security forces shackled Wadea to his hospital bed, beat and prevented his
relatives from visiting him, withheld his body for months after he died, and
required his family to bury him quietly at night.
In all cases, Israeli forces shot the children’s upper
bodies, without, according to witnesses, issuing warnings or using common,
less-lethal measures such as tear gas, concussion grenades, or rubber-coated
bullets.
The Israeli
newspaper Haaretz reported in January that since
“December 2021, soldiers are allowed to shoot at Palestinians who are fleeing
if they had previously thrown stones or Molotov cocktails.”
International negligence
Israeli authorities have used excessive force against
Palestinians in policing situations for decades. The authorities have routinely
failed to hold their forces accountable when security forces
kill Palestinians,
including children, in circumstances in which the use of lethal force was not
justified under international norms. From 2017 to 2021, fewer than one percent
of complaints of violations by Israeli military forces against Palestinians,
including killings and other abuses, resulted in indictments, the Israeli
rights group Yesh Din reported.
Israeli forces killed at least 614 Palestinians whom the UN
classified as civilians in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank during this period.
But only three soldiers were convicted for killing Palestinians, according to
Yesh Din, and all received short sentences of military community service. In
2021, out of 4,401 complaints to the department of internal police
investigations, which include complaints by Israeli citizens, just 1.2 percent
resulted in indictments, according to the state comptroller.
“In all cases, Israeli forces shot the children’s upper bodies, without, according to witnesses, issuing warnings or using common, less-lethal measures such as tear gas, concussion grenades, or rubber-coated bullets.”
The UN Secretary-General is mandated by the Security Council
to annually list military forces and armed groups responsible for grave
violations against children in armed conflict. Between 2015 and 2022, the UN
attributed over 8,700 child casualties to Israeli forces, yet Israel has never
been listed.
The stigma attached to the Secretary-General’s “list of
shame” is considerable, and parties named must create and carry out an action
plan of reforms to end the abuses in order to be removed from the list. The UN
missed an opportunity to protect children by omitting Israel,
HRW said. The
Secretary-General should use objective criteria to determine the list for 2023.
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