700 Palestinian children are arrested by Israeli forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territories each year. Most are seized from their homes at night or in the early hours of the morning. Three quarters of the children experience physical violence.
Gerard Horton from Defence for Children International will discuss the report just published by DCI-Palestine “Bound Blindfolded and Convicted. Children held in military detention”. The report which is a culmination of four years’ work by DCI with the support of the European Union found that there is a systematic pattern of ill-treatment, and in some cases torture, of children held in the military detention system.
The testimonies reveal that most children are arrested from villages located close to friction points, namely settlements built in violation of international law, and roads used by the Israeli army or settlers. The report includes 10 recommendations, which if implemented, would reduce the level of ill-treatment, but points out that no one should be under any illusion that the treatment documented in the report can be eliminated so long as the friction points remain and Palestinian children are treated as second-class individuals.
Oxford Town Hall