Israel kills 11 Palestinian children since start of 2017

Gazans demonstrated outside the Abdul Aziz Al-Rantisi Children’s Hospital yesterday to protest against the Palestinian Authority’s decision not to send medicines to the besieged Strip [Mohammed Asad/Middle East Monitor]

Some 11 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli occupying forces since January 2017, Defence for Children International – Palestine (DCIP) revealed yesterday.

Ten of the children were killed with live ammunition and many suffered bullet wounds to the head or chest. The last of the victims was 17-year old Muhammad Laafi who was killed during demonstrations during last Friday’s “Day of Rage” when Israeli occupying forces fired at protestors demanding free access to Al-Aqsa Mosque.

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In a statement, DCIP called on the Israeli army to abide by international law and show restraint: “Article 3 of the UN Code of Conduct adds that every effort must be made to avoid the use of firearms, especially against children.”

The Ramallah-based NGO also advocated for investigations to be opened for all allegations of crimes committed against children, especially those in which minors have been killed.

DCIP estimates that 35 Palestinian children were killed by Israeli soldiers in occupied Jerusalem and the West Bank in 2016.

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