Since March, Israel has reportedly shot and killed 34 children. That’s more than one murder for each week. In fact, the violence is so extreme that witnesses have claimed children are deliberate targets.
Nakba
On 30 March, known as ‘Land Day‘, thousands of Palestinians peacefully camped on the Israeli-Gaza border. The intention was to remain there until 15 May, the 70th anniversary of the Nakba (Arabic for “catastrophe”). Nakba acknowledges the displacement of Palestinians after the founding of the Israeli state.
But these peaceful protests met with extreme violence from Israel. In April, a UN statement clearly stated that Gaza is under “military occupation”. And it warned against Israel’s continued use of “excessive force”.
Since then, demonstrations known as the Great Return March have continued. But the violent response of the Israeli military (IDF) hasn’t stopped. And as the Electronic Intifada reported on 24 October, witnesses say Israel intentionally targets children.
This week, some reports suggested Israel had murdered 31 children in 31 weeks:
https://twitter.com/bb_mystic/status/1055832875487191048
But according to other reports:
At least 34 children have been killed by Israeli forces while participating in Great March of Return protests…
Since the year 2000, meanwhile, Israeli armed forces or settlers have reportedly killed over 2,000 Palestinian children. Around 1,600 of these deaths occurred in Gaza.
Violence
Reports of violence towards children don’t seem to stop:
Why would the bastards shoot such a little child !!!!???….This little Palestinian child was shot injured few minutes ago by a Israeli occupation sniper, Gaza, occupied Palestine, 26 October 2018.#GreatReturnMarch #Israelicrimes #ICC4Israel #PalestinianLivesMatter pic.twitter.com/UPdPpt0RW7
— RIMSHA KHAN 🔥🦋 (@rimmytweets) October 26, 2018
Just I wanna know the fault he committed to get a bullet in the foot..!
This #Palestinian child was participating in #GreatReturnMarch when #Israeli sniper decided to shoot him for no reason as shown in the video..!#IsraeliCrimes #ICC4Israel pic.twitter.com/f4NXeQsb1T— 𝐌𝐨𝐡𝐚𝐦𝐦𝐞𝐝 𝐀𝐛𝐝𝐮𝐥 𝐇𝐚𝐲 𓂆 🔻 (@iM0hay) October 24, 2018
And beyond Gaza, shocking footage has emerged that allegedly shows tear gas fired at children in a school playground in the occupied apartheid city of Hebron:
https://twitter.com/FalastinVoices/status/1055809887530291203
#IsraeliCrimes
The situation for people in occupied Palestine is horrific. But those living in Gaza are also under siege in what many call an open-air prison.
According to Human Rights Watch: “nearly 2 million Palestinians, including 1.3 million refugees, live in Gaza”. And Israel has blamed Gaza’s Hamas government for this year’s violence. It said the protesters were part of a “hostile infiltration”. But as The Canary previously reported:
Israel, the US and the EU have designated Hamas as a terrorist organisation. But the party, which rules the Gaza Strip, labels itself ‘a national resistance movement’.
Israeli violence towards children is ongoing. Because 18 years ago, the IDF allegedly shot 12-year-old Muhammad al-Dura (though exact responsibility is unclear). The moment was caught on camera and the world seemed momentarily outraged. Israeli conspiracy theorists, however, claimed it was a hoax.
#NeverForget #NeverForgive
Today marks exactly 18 yr since an israeli occupation forces brutally shot dead the child/ Mohammed Al Durra and his father injured during 2000 Intifada..#IsraeliCrimes
pic.twitter.com/qXfekoMz2o— ❤AyyBeeJaFfri (@Ajaffri10372211) October 24, 2018
But Israel can no longer deny it is murdering children. The whole world has seen it.
Nassir al Mosabeh, Ahmad Abu Habil, Faris al-Sarsawi… just three more names in the tragic list of 2,000.
The violence has gone too far.
Get Involved!
– Join and support the Boycott, Divestment and Sanctions (BDS) movement. This is a non-violent means of resisting Israel’s occupation.
– Also support the Palestinian Solidarity Campaign, and see previous Canary articles about recent boycott campaigns.
– In the UK, write to your national or local politicians to ask them to push for peace talks between Israel and Palestine.
– Join The Canary, so we can keep holding the powerful to account.
Featured image via screengrab/YouTube
