In recognition of the annual report of the Special Representative of the Secretary-General for Children and Armed Conflict, submitted to the Human Rights Council, “SHAMS “ Center called upon His excellency, António Guterres, Secretary- General of the United Nations, for immediate intervention to stop the gross violations and crimes committed by the Israeli Occupation Army against Palestinian children. “SHAMS” Center emphasized the necessity to account the Israeli soldiers and military officers for their crimes and ensure that they would never get away with it. Additionally, the organization called upon the United Nations and the International Governments to shift from the circle of just condemning the practices of the occupation, which encourages the occupation’s state to proceed in its practices, to apply measures to end the occupation’s crimes. In this regard, “SHAMS “ Center stressed that the first step could be through UN’s blacklisting of the Israeli army as one of the most armies that target children on the global level. According to the organization, the Israeli army’s violations range between murdering, injuring, targeting, home demolishing, forcible displacing, using children as human shields, arresting, settlers’ violence, breaking through schools, sieging, imposing curfew, denying access to schools, denying access to health services, restricting freedom of mobility, depriving children of family reunion, and arresting a parent alongside with other brutal attacks and practices.
“SHAMS “ Center stressed that the Israeli occupation state made killing, arresting, and injuring Palestinian children one of its first prioritized practices as indicated from the daily practices of the Israeli army. During the first half of 2022, as an example, the Israeli army killed 77 Palestinians (including 17 minors). The number of Palestinians killed in the year before (2021) was 357 including 79 kids (below 18 years old) representing 22% out of the total number of killed Palestinians. Additionally, the Israeli authorities are still holding custody the bodies of nine killed Palestinian minors (one of them since 2016). During May 2022, 10 Palestinians were killed by the Israeli army including 5 minors (below 18 years old). On a related level, the year 2021, witnessed arresting more than one thousand Palestinian children where in the 2022, there are still 190 of inside the Israeli prisons where they are detained at Oufer, Meggedo, and other interrogation centers (20 of them below 16 years old).
“SHAMS” Center shed the light on the fact that the Occupation State violates its commitments according to the International Law, through denying Palestinian children’s right to fair trial and litigation principles in accordance with the Convention on the Child Right. The Israeli Authorities applied military racism orders against Palestinian children and presented them to military courts that lack the minimum standards of fair trial. One of these orders is the military order number (132) and the amendments added to it, which allow arresting and sentencing minors below the age of 12. “SHAMS “ Center emphasized that detaining children is a crime that violates all the international standards, conventions, and treaties, especially article one of Geneva Fourth Convention about the commitments of the states parties that these states should respect the international conventions and treaties and ensure activating them in all the circumstances. Moreover, arresting and targeting Palestinian children violates the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, International Covenant on the civil and Political Rights, and the Convention on the Child Right regarding child’s right to life and best treatment.
Human Rights and Democracy Media Center” SHAMS” recommended the necessity of immediate intervention of the international community to provide Palestinian children with needed protection. Additionally, the organization focused on the necessity to publicize the occupation’s crimes against Palestinian children, especially through media and the available podiums interested in protecting child right and human rights in general. Additionally, the organization called upon the necessity to present the Israeli war criminal to the appropriate courts for their violations against Palestinian children. “SHAMS “ Center highlighted the necessity to provide Palestinian children harmed by the occupation, with the needed care and rehabilitate them through specialized social and cultural organizations.