The Palestinian Prisoner Society (PPS) published a report marking the Palestinian Child Day, which is celebrated every year on April 5th, and revealed that Israeli troops have taken prisoner 6,000 children since the beginning of the Al Aqsa Intifada in 2000, and that 390 children are still imprisoned by Israel.
The Society stated that Israeli soldiers have shot and killed 860 children since the beginning of the Intifada, and that a total of 5056 civilians were killed by the army and the illegal Israeli settlers.
The PPS reported that the occupation has deliberately targeted children during the current Intifada as well as in previous years, and that last year soldiers took prisoner at least 2000 children.
Since 2000, Israeli troops have detained 6,000 children; 390 remained imprisoned. The age range of the child detainees is 13-18.
Many of the detained children were tortured, abused and insulted, the PPS added. Dozens of them were taken prisoner after the army broke into their parents' homes during late night hours, and were violently dragged out.
During the military attacks against civilians' houses and the abduction of the children, soldiers and under-cover forces destroyed the property of these families, and conducted violent and abusive body searches of the children and their families. The abducted children were handcuffed and blindfolded in front of their families before they were taken to unknown destinations.
The PPS also reported that dozens of children were taken prisoner from the streets just because “soldiers suspected that they hurled stones at them”, and some of the children were abducted at checkpoints.
The abducted children are taken to detention centers where they are subjected to extreme torture and abusive acts.
Dozens of detained children were beaten and clubbed as they were transferred from the military camps to detention facilities. The abuse included hitting them with the rifles and helmets; several children fainted due to the pain inflicted upon them. Several children are suffering from psychological and physical problems do to abuse and torture.
The detained children are interrogated by Israeli Intelligence officers in mainly the Ofer, Atzion, Salem, Qadumim Huwwara and Al Maskobiyya detention facilities.
Torture methods used against the detainees include hitting them on their heads, chests and sensitive body parts, shaking them continuously, and placing bags on their heads.
One of the children, Majdi Issa, from Al Khader town near Bethlehem, was kidnapped from his house on January, 1, 2002; he was deprived of sleep for several days, was beaten and clubbed by the soldiers who also used to continuously shake his body, especially his head.
The soldiers also poured hot and cold water on him during interrogation and confined him to a solitary cell. He was also repeatedly sent to rooms were collaborators are present; the collaborators with the Israeli security also used to abuse and deprive him of sleep.
Dozens of detained children were fined by the Israeli courts; the fines are usually high and could be as much as 15000 New Israeli Shekels.
The PPS reported that children who are still imprisoned by Israel are currently detained in Telmond (127 child prisoners), Megiddo (20), The Negev detention camp (11), Ofer (80), and the rest are in Atzion, Salem, Huwwara and Qadumim.
Several female children are also imprisoned in the Telmond prison for women.
