As Israel escalates its arrests campaign and violations against the Palestinians in Jerusalem, especially the children, Fakhri Abu Diab, a resident of Silwan town, in occupied East Jerusalem, member of the Al-Bustan Popular Committee, reported that Israel collected more than 900.000 USD in fines imposed on Palestinian children in Jerusalem over the period of nine months. Abu Diab stated that the police are kidnapping the children, and imposing high fines on them under the pretext of hurling stones at the Israeli army.
“Israeli courts are imposing very high fines on the Palestinian children of East Jerusalem”, Abu Diab said, “The parents are obliged to pay these fines in order to secure the release of their children”.
He further stated that, in recent months, Israel collected 500.000 New Israeli Shekels in fines imposed on 100 children, as each family had to pay 5000 NIS.
In addition, Israel collected additional 1.000.000 shekels after forcing the families of 500 detainees to pay NIS 2000 each.
Additional 750.000 NIS were collected in fines imposed on 300 detainees, 200 NIS on each detainee. In addition to 78.000 NIS in fines imposed on 52 detainees; 1500 on each, and 31.000 NIS imposed on 31 detainees, 1000 NIS each.
This is besides hundreds of thousands of Shekels paid in bails that range between 2000 and 5000 each.
These violations are taking place while the Israeli Authorities are ongoing with their illegal policies that target the very presence of the local Palestinians in the occupied city by demolishing their homes, confiscating their lands, and other violations meant to enable the construction and expansion of Jewish-only settlements in occupied East Jerusalem.
These measures are in direct violation of the International Law and the Fourth Geneva Conventions.
