Demonstrators call for Israel to free Palestinian girl

Palestinian demonstrators gathered yesterday in the West Bank city of Ramallah calling for Israel to release 14-year-old prisoner Malak Al-Khatib, Al-Araby Al-Jadeed reported.

The gathering, which was organised in front of the Red Cross office, was called for by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Committee.

Women, ex-prisoners and children took part in the demonstration carrying pictures of the Palestinian girl who was sentenced to two months in prison and a 6,00 shekel ($1,500) fine by an Israeli military court last week.

Head of Palestinian Committee for Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Issa Qaraqea called for the Israeli occupation to release the Palestinian girl and all the other Palestinian minors held in Israeli jails.

“The Israeli occupation arrests children and grabs confessions from them through violent interrogations and puts them on trial in a military court without respecting their rights,” he said, calling for the world to stop the Israeli occupation’s continuous violations of the rights of Palestinian children.

Malak was arrested from Battin village, near Ramallah, on December 31 2014 under the pretext of throwing stones at the Israeli occupation’s soldiers and having a knife.

Israel arrested more than 7,000 Palestinians, including 200 under the age of 18.