Israel killed 15 Palestinian students and detained 1,194 minors from the beginning of this year until the end of October, the Ministry of Education and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS) said in two separate statements marking the World Children’s Day.
They revealed that Israel “directly targets,” kills and arrests children, a matter denied by Tel Aviv.
The Ministry said that the Israeli occupation forces carried out more than 100 raids against schools, firing teargas and rubber and live bullets at the students.
It called on world countries and institutions to protect the children and students of Palestine, and their right to education. It also urged to take a stand against the occupation and the repressive practices of its army and settlers through the continuous targeting of children.
The PPS said that 160 Palestinian minors are currently held in three Israeli prisons.
Since 2000, Israel has arrested at least 19,000 Palestinian minors aged between 10 to 18 years old, according to the NGO.
Based on documented testimonies of child detainees; two-thirds of the detained children were subjected to one or more forms of physical torture, while all detainees were psychologically tortured.
"This is a grave violation of international law, especially the Convention against Torture and the Convention on the Rights of the Child," said the PPS in its statement.
"Starting from the moment of their arrest, children undergo harsh interrogation," it added.
It said that the Israeli occupation courts issue unfair sentences against minors following the amendments introduced to some laws related to Palestinian minors.
In the same context, the Mezan Center For Human Rights demanded the international community to act urgently and effectively to put an end to the Israeli violations targeting Palestinian children.
World Children's Day is celebrated globally on the 20th of November every year.
