Report finds 141 children across the occupied territory have been killed by soldiers and settlers since October, with most shot in the head and torso
ed note–2 important quotes relative to the story below.
The first comes from the infamous war criminal Ariel Sharon who stated quite plainly, shortly before he died and went home to hell to be with his father, the devil–
‘I swear I will burn every Palestinian child born in this area…The Palestinian woman and child are much more dangerous than the man, because the existence of a Palestinian child ensures that future generations will continue, while the man causes only limited damage.’
The second quote functions as the source of Sharon’s quote and as the philosophical basis upon which the Jews justify/sanctify what they have been doing to the Arabs ever since the unholy re-emergence of Judea Resurrecta in the 20th century, and comes from the Torah (Old Testament) and specifically the book of Deuteronomy which both Jews and Christians consider to be ‘holy’, to wit–
‘When the Lord your God brings you into the land you are to possess and drives out the many nations larger and stronger than you, and when the Lord your God has delivered them over to you and you have defeated them, then you must destroy them totally. Make no treaty with them, and show them no mercy. Do not save alive anything that breathes…Do not intermarry with them…Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons…Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their idols in the fire, for you are a people holy to the Lord your God who has chosen you out of all the peoples on the face of the earth to be his people, his treasured possession…’ –Book of Deuteronomy
Middle East Eye
A new report has detailed how more than 140 Palestinian children have been killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank since the 7 October Hamas-led attack and ensuing war on Gaza began.
The report by Defence for Children International (DCIP), Targeting childhood: Palestinian children killed by Israeli forces and settlers in the occupied West Bank, is based upon eyewitness testimonies, medical reports and CCTV footage. It documents the killing of 141 Palestinian children between 7 October 2023 and 31 July 2024.
Researchers found that on average, Israeli forces have killed a child every two days during this period.
According to the report, most of the victims were shot in the head or torso with live ammunition. It added that 18 children were shot in the back, indicating that they were not facing their assailants.
In many cases, the children were targeted by snipers, who are regularly deployed during military incursions into Palestinian communities across the West Bank.
Researchers said that while some of the children were killed during clashes between Israeli forces and Palestinian communities, snipers ‘routinely’ target Palestinian children while they are ‘going about their daily lives’.
In one case, a four-year-old named Ruqaya Jahalin was shot in the torso while she was in a van with her mother at a checkpoint near Beit Iksa in the central West Bank.
In another, Mahmoud Amjad Ismail Hamadneh, 15, was shot in the head, torso and limbs by an Israeli sniper while riding his bike home from school in Jenin.
No imminent threat
In all cases documented in the report, the DCIP emphasised that the children posed ‘no imminent threat’ and that there was no evidence that Israeli forces issued warnings prior to firing.
It added that, under the UN Basic Principles on the Use of Force, Firearms by Law Enforcement, live ammunition should only be used as a last resort.
‘Israeli forces have made clear their contempt for Palestinian children’s lives in their deliberate and systematic disregard for international law and even their own policies permitting the use of live ammunition in circumstances not justified under international law,’ the report said.
According to DCIP, in addition to deliberately targeting children, in 60 percent of the cases, Israeli forces ‘systematically’ blocked paramedics and ambulances from reaching the wounded children.
The NGO has documented more than 700 deaths of Palestinian children in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since 2000. It said that, of that figure, 20 percent were killed since 7 October.
‘This notable increase, in part, can be attributed to Israeli authorities’ unwillingness to hold individual soldiers accountable for unlawful conduct and war crimes,’ the report read.
It added that while no Israeli soldiers have been held accountable for these deaths, their deliberate targeting of children is a breach of international law and means they could be prosecuted at the International Criminal Court (ICC) for the war crime of wilful killing.