Israel has killed 2,079 Palestinian minors since 2000

Some 2,079 Palestinian children have been killed by Israel since 2000, the Ministry of Information revealed yesterday.

In a statement released on International Children’s Day, the ministry said: “Palestinian children have suffered from violations committed by the occupation and settlers all across the country.”

From the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000 to the end of May 2016, 2,079 children were killed while over 13,000 children were injured and over 12,000 were arrested, the statement said. There are still 420 children held in Israeli prisons.

Of those arrested, 95 per cent were subjected to torture and violations during their arrest, which usually takes place after midnight. Children are often blindfolded and handcuffed by Israeli soldiers. Confessions are often forced out of them and detainees do not have access to lawyers and are not allowed to see their parents.

Children also suffer from severe poverty due to the deteriorating economic situation in the occupied territories and the continued siege imposed on the Gaza Strip. This forces many to leave school and find jobs. According to the Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics’ 2013 report, 4.1 per cent of Palestinian children aged 10-17 have entered the workforce.

Another report by the Ministry of Labour stated that 102,000 Palestinian children under the age of 18 have entered the workforce.