30 PALESTINIAN CHILDREN SHOT BY ISRAEL SINCE THE BEGINNING OF THE YEAR

The global movement for the defense of children in Palestine said that the Israeli Occupation Forces (IOF) are still using excessive force against the Palestinian children including firing live bullets at them.

 - FalastinNews

The movement added in a press statement on Saturday that 

since the beginning of the current year it has documented 30 

cases in which Palestinian children were shot with live 

bullets fired by Israeli soldiers and settlers, and pointed out 

that 29 of them were shot while they were participating in 

peaceful marches in the West Bank and the last one was 

shot by settlers in Silwan town in Occupied Jerusalem.

The movement attributed using this excessive force by the 

IOF to the Israeli soldiers’ conviction and prior knowledge 

that they will get away with impunity in spite of all their 

heinous crimes, according to the statement.

It also pointed out that according to the Israeli army special 

regulations live ammunition is not be used except in cases 

that constitute mortal threats to the Israeli soldiers, and 

pointed to the lack of evidences which prove that the child 

victims were posing such threats when targeted.

The statement mentioned the case of the minor Mu’ath al-

Ramahi, 15, who was shot in the chest with a live bullet 

during violent clashes with the IOF at the entrance of 

Jalazone camp on March 6 causing him severe wounds in 

his right lung and damages in his ribs and chest muscles.

The same clashes led to the injury of the minor Muhammad 

Hmidat, 16, who was shot in the face.

The statement cited Hmidat as saying: “I felt like if someone 

was hitting me from the back then I felt dizziness and a dull 

pain at that time then I noticed that my face was bleeding 

profusely”.

The statement also mentioned that the minor Malik 

Ghawanmeh, 16, was shot with a live bullet in his right leg 

leading to shattering the bones. The minor Muhammad 

Birnat, 16, was also hit with a live bullet while he was 

participating in the weekly peaceful march in Bil’in village 

near Ramallah.

“The Israeli soldiers started to fire tear gas and stun 

grenades and live bullets at us,” Birnat said, adding:” I was 

looking for a place to hide when I felt that something hit my 

right leg strongly.”

The clinical tests and the X-rays showed that the bullet 

settled in his right knee, according to the medical report of 

the child.