Amnesty International Condemns Use of Children
for Terror
(Updated May 2005)
Amnesty International has repeatedly condemned suicide
bombings and other attacks against civilians by Palestinian
armed groups as crimes against humanity. Using children to carry
out or assist in armed attacks of any kind is an abomination. We call
on the Palestinian leadership to publicly denounce these practices.
Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad and al-Aqsa
Martyrs's brigades, must put an immediate end to the use or involvement
of any kind of children in armed activity. There have been numerous cases
in which Palestinian children
have been used by Palestinian armed groups to carry out or attempt
to carry out suicide bombings or other attacks against Israeli civilians
and soldiers.
In January 2004, a 17-year-old Palestinian detonated an explosive
belt he was wearing as he was being tracked down by Israeli soldiers,
killing himself and without hurting anyone else. The boy apparently
intended to carry out a suicide attack to revenge the killing the previous
week by the Israeli army of his 15-year-old brother and his cousin,
neither of whom were armed when they were shot dead by Israeli soldiers.
He had reportedly been given the explosive belt by members of the Palestinian
armed group Islamic Jihad.
Palestinian armed groups have pressured families of
those who have been killed while carrying out attacks, including children,
not to condemn but to welcome and endorse their relatives' actions.
In March 2004, a 14-year-old Palestinian child was found to be carrying
explosives when attempting to pass through the Israeli army checkpoint
at Huwara, at the entrance of the West
Bank town of Nablus. Reports indicate that the boy was wearing an explosive
belt, which would suggest that he was knowingly carrying it. According
to Israeli army reports the boy may have intended to detonate the explosive
belt, and thus commit suicide, near soldiers manning the checkpoint.
In February 2004, Israeli soldiers discovered a bag of explosives
in the possession of an 11-year old Palestinian child at the same checkpoint.
The boy, who regularly carried bags for travellers from one side of
the checkpoint to the other, was reported not to have been aware that
one of the bags on his cart contained explosives.
“Palestinian armed groups must not use children
under any circumstances to carry out armed attacks or to transport
weapons or other material,” Amnesty International said.
On May 22, 2005, a 15-year-old Palestinian child carrying
explosive was arrested by the Israeli army at the Huwara military checkpoint,
at the entrance to the West Bank town of Nablus.
This was the third such incident in 2005 in which
Palestinian children have been arrested at Israeli military checkpoints
while carrying explosives or munitions. On February 3, a 17-year-old
was arrested at the same checkpoint while carrying explosives and bullets,
and on April 27, two 15-year-olds also carrying explosives and bullets
were arrested at a military checkpoint at the entrance of the West
Bank town of Jenin.
Palestinian armed groups have repeatedly shown total
disregard for the most fundamental human
rights, notably the right to life, by deliberately targeting Israeli
civilians and by using Palestinian children in armed attacks. Children
are susceptible to recruitment by manipulation or may be driven to
join armed groups for a variety of reasons, including a desire to avenge
relatives or friends killed by the Israeli army....
“The exploitation of children, who are often
particularly vulnerable or traumatized, by armed groups and armed forces
must cease at once, as must the killing of children, and those responsible
for such crimes must be brought to justice,” said Amnesty International.
Sources: Amnesty
International |