Today, Monday, the Al Mezan Center for Human Rights published a report highlighting the forms of torture and ill-treatment suffered by dozens of Palestinian children who tried to cross the fence between the Gaza Strip and Israel between 2015 and 2019.
According to the monitoring and documentation processes published by the Center in its report under the title “Torture and ill-treatment of children fleeing the humanitarian catastrophe in the Gaza Strip,” the occupation authorities have used excessive and lethal force against people who try to cross the separation fence despite their unlimited ability to verify that they do not pose a danger to what kind.
He indicated that the occupation forces killed (8) children who crossed the fence, wounded (6) others, and arrested (96) others.
During the preparation of this report, the Center´s researchers were able to interview 91 of these children to talk about their experiences. The children confirmed that they were subjected to some form of torture, ill-treatment, or abuse, including discrimination and neglect, by the Israeli authorities, and to a lesser extent, by the Palestinian authorities during their experience, starting with From their arrest in the buffer zone (the access restricted area), through their detention and interrogation by the occupation authorities, and ending with their arrest by the Palestinian authorities upon their return to the Gaza Strip.
The children reported that Israeli forces beat them with hands and rifle butts, in addition to being insulted and insulted, and forcing them to sit in painful positions during the arrest and transfer process. .
Some children reported being deprived of food and drink, and being prevented from entering the toilet during their detention by the Israeli authorities.
It is reported that two children reported that the investigators offered them to work as informants for the occupation.
The results of the survey showed that (70) children were arrested by the Palestinian authorities after the Israeli authorities released them, as (22) children confirmed that they were beaten and insulted while they were detained by the Palestinian authorities in Gaza.
The report reviewed the reasons that pushed children to cross the separation fence and expose themselves to danger. (59) children stated that the main motives were the poor economic conditions of their families, while (11) children indicated that the family violence they are exposed to from the family is the motive behind their risk of crossing the fence. While (4) of them indicated that the economic conditions and domestic violence were both a motive, while the motives of the rest of the children varied between the lack of adequate shelter, the state of depression, and special reasons that they did not disclose.
The results also revealed that (71%) of the families of children who cross the fence are from large families whose members exceed seven people, and that (78%) of families do not exceed their monthly income (1000) shekels, and (65) children are among those who They were arrested when they crossed the separation fence. They were among the "dropouts" who left school and did not continue their education.
The report findings indicate the widespread use of methods of torture and cruel, inhuman and degrading treatment against children in an organized and institutional manner.
Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights called on the international community to actively intervene to end the siege imposed on the Gaza Strip.
"The international community must ensure that investigations are conducted promptly, thoroughly and impartially in accordance with international standards, and that perpetrators of violations against children are brought to justice," he said.
The Center called on the international community to press for the implementation of effective legislation that fully criminalizes torture in line with the Convention against Torture in Israel and Palestine.
"The international community should publicly condemn the practices of the Israeli occupation forces, which constitute violations of international human rights law, international humanitarian law and criminal law," he said.
The Center urged the international community to take immediate and effective measures to ensure respect for international law, provide effective protection for children, and stop the Israeli occupation forces´ use of excessive force and the practice of torture and ill-treatment.
The Al-Mezan Center for Human Rights recommended that the authorities in Gaza stop practicing all acts of torture and ill-treatment against children, and stop criminalizing "infiltrator" children upon their return to Gaza, and treating them as victims, including those who were forcibly recruited as informants for the Israeli security services.
He called for providing assistance, rehabilitating children, providing social protection services for their families, and providing the necessary support to eliminate and address family violence.
He said, "The Ministry of Education and service institutions in the Gaza Strip should set up educational and cultural programs to protect the right of children who have dropped out of school to education, and they must address the causes of dropout."
He added, "The authorities must take all possible measures, even in the context of occupation and blockade, to implement decent living standards, including providing health care, food and educational services to the population, so that children do not have to resort to options that threaten their safety, such as crossing the separation fence."
