Israel forces Palestinian children to work in prison for $4 a day

The Israeli authorities have forced Palestinian children detained in Ofek Prison to work for long hours for a very small wage, Palestinian sources have claimed.

According to Aida Taqatqa from Beit Fajar near Bethlehem, her 16 year-old son told her that the prison administration forces Palestinian children to work for six hours a day packing salt for a private company in exchange for 15 shekels ($4) a shift. She told Quds Press that her son is imprisoned with his 17 year-old uncle in extremely difficult conditions in Ofek Prison; three prisoners have to share a very small room and are locked-up for 23 hours a day.

The Israelis are holding a number of Palestinian children in Ofek, said Jamil Saadeh. The vice president of the Legal Department of the Prisoners Affairs Committee pointed out that it is dedicated for civilian prisoners who are subject to different laws and regulations than those Palestinians who are detained for resisting the occupation. He explained that the exact number of Palestinian prisoners in Ofek Prison is unknown because the Israeli authorities transfer them frequently.

The representative of the PA committee for prisoners’ affairs, Munqid Abu Atwan, warned of the seriousness of Taqatqa’s allegations, which demand urgent action from human rights organisations. He added that the committee will send a lawyer to investigate the conditions in Ofek.