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| '''Child suicide bombers''' are minors who commit or try to commit ]s. |
'''Child suicide bombers''' are minors who commit or try to commit ]s. The practice of using children and teenagers as suicide bombers was prevalent during the ] {{fact}}, during which ] armed groups have launched hundreds of suicide attacks on Israeli cities, although comparatively few bombers are minors. | ||
| == Overview == | == Overview == | ||
| ].]] | ].]] | ||
| In the ], and especially during the ], controversy has arisen over the participation of minors in ] militant and ] actions. Some Palestinian militant and terrorist organizations have sought to recruit children to attack Israeli civilians and soldiers; in some instances these groups have also recruited minors as ] to attack Israeli targets, both military and civilian. The youngest successful Palestinian suicide bomber was 16-year-old Issa Bdeir, a high school student from the village of Al Doha, who blew himself up in a park in ], killing a teenage boy and an elderly man. | |||
| While there have been at least nine documented suicide attacks involving minors between October ] and March ], and an Israeli military report details 229 cases of minors involved in militant activity, the , in its '''' reported that "there was no evidence of systematic recruitment of children by Palestinian armed groups", also noting that this remains a small fraction of the problem in other conflict zones such as ], where there are an estimated 20,000 children involved in active ] in ] alone. ], in its report entitled "Child Soldier Use", also reported that "there was no evidence that the Palestinian Authority (PA) recruited or used child soldiers." | |||
| In the ], and especially during the ], controversy has arisen over the participation of minors in ] militant. There were allegations by Israel that some Palestinian militant organizations have sought to recruit children to attack Israeli civilians and soldiers; and that in some instances these groups have also recruited minors as ] | |||
| According to the ], in the ] Palestinian militant groups have used children as "messengers and couriers, and in some cases as fighters and suicide bombers in attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians". | |||
| There have been nine documented suicide attacks involving minors (age 16-18) between October ] and March ]. An Israeli military report details 229 cases of minors involved in what they described as militant activity{{fact}}. However, the , in its '''' reported that "there was no evidence of systematic recruitment of children by Palestinian armed groups", also noting that this remains a small fraction of the problem in other conflict zones such as ], where there are an estimated 20,000 children involved in active ] in ] alone. ], in its report entitled "Child Soldier Use", also reported that "there was no evidence that the Palestinian Authority (PA) recruited or used child soldiers." | |||
| ], ], ] and the ] (PFLP) have all been implicated in involving children in this way, though the issue was only brought to world attention after the widely televised incident when the mentally handicapped Palestinian teenager ] was disarmed after television cameras had been called in . Some commentators have claimed that the ], religious clerics, and the Palestinian education system incite violence by glorifying suicide bombing and violence through the concepts of "]" (the Islamic Creed) and "]". However, a special report commissioned by the US Department of State and conducted by the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information found that "The overall orientation of the curriculum is peaceful despite the harsh and violent realities on the ground. It does not openly incite against Israel and the Jews. It does not openly incite hatred and violence. Religious and political tolerance is emphasized in a good number of textbooks and in multiple contexts." . | |||
| Other commentators have called suicide bombers "an explosion of decades of despair", claiming that they are more likely motivated by "living under military siege, and because so many of their fellow Palestinians have been maimed and killed" than ]ic fanatacism and "dreaming of being rewarded with ] in ]". Some of them argue that the Israeli policy of pursuing reprisals against the families of the bombers (usually via the demolition of their homes) calls into question whether the youths are capable of making an informed choice regarding the consequences of their actions. | |||
| According to the ], in the ] Palestinian militant groups have used children as "messengers and couriers, and in some cases as fighters and suicide bombers in attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians"{{fact}}. | |||
| A number of groups, including the ] (IDF) and the current ] ], claim that many children are paid by militant groups such as ] or the ] to throw ]s at Israeli soldiers, often resulting in severe injuries and handicaps to the children through premature detonation. Between September ] and March ], "Palestinian non-governmental groups documented the deaths of 30 children actively involved in organized military action... Most of the deaths occurred as a result of accidents with explosives or during armed clashes with Israeli troops". According to ], there have been 229 cases of minors involved in militant activity. Some Palestinians and commentators have claimed that the role that money plays in this is highly doubtful given the large amount of stone throwing at tanks by children on their own. | |||
| ], ], ] and the ] (PFLP) have all been implicated in involving children in this way{{fact}}, though the issue was only brought to world attention after the widely televised incident when the mentally handicapped Palestinian teenager ] was disarmed after television cameras had been called in . | |||
| A number of groups, including the ] (IDF) and the current ] ]{{fact}}, claim that many children are paid by militant groups such as ] or the ] to throw ]s at Israeli soldiers, often resulting in severe injuries and handicaps to the children through premature detonation.{{fact}} Between September ] and March ], "Palestinian non-governmental groups documented the deaths of 30 children actively involved in organized military action... Most of the deaths occurred as a result of accidents with explosives or during armed clashes with Israeli troops"{{fact}}. | |||
| According to ]{{fact}}, there have been 229 cases of minors involved in in what they described as militant activity. Some Palestinians and commentators have claimed that the role that money plays in this is highly doubtful given the large amount of stone throwing at tanks by children on their own.{{fact}} | |||
| ==Background== | |||
| ===The Impact of the Conflict on the palestinian Minors=== | |||
| The involvement of some monirs in the suicide attacks comes on the background of a harsh reality for the Palestiniand children. The chronic and severe violence of the Palestinian Israeli conflict has its impact on the Palestinian children. | |||
| Since the ], there have been 903 Palestinian children killed by the ] (IDF). | |||
| ], an Israeli ] monitoring group, reported that 529 (87.7%) were not involved in any hostilities when they were killed, with ambiguous data on another 31 children. These findings were confirmed by the of . | |||
| It is estimated that two-thirds of all injuries among Palestinians are to Palestinian minors. | |||
| Defence for Children International estimates that until April 2003, at least 4 816 Palestinian children were injured. . | |||
| According to ], between August ] and August ], 1 085 persons treated in its clinics had been shot in the ], 545 of whom were under sixteen, and 97 of whom were under the age of six<sup></sup>. | |||
| A study by the ] (PHR-Israel) reveals that during the five years of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, a child under the age of six was shot in the head every two weeks<sup></sup>. | |||
| Another cause of injury has been ] (UXO). | |||
| Since the beginning of the Al-Aqsa Intifada, at least 11 Palestinians under the age of 17 have been injured by Israeli security forces' munitions' remnants. | |||
| The large majority of incidents involving unexploded ordinance occurred in the Gaza Strip. | |||
| In October, 2004, 338 Palestinian minors were reported by Defence for Children International (DCI) to be under arrest by the Israeli security forces. | |||
| Still, DCI has estimated that there have been 2 650 Palestinian child prisoners since the start of the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000 , which has raised concern among several Palestinian, Israeli and international human rights groups. | |||
| ===Psychological Impact of the Conflict on Palestinian Minors=== | |||
| Researchers are finding high levels of post-traumatic stress disorder among Israeli and Palestinian children. | |||
| According to some researchers, the rate of post-traumatic stress disorder among Palestinian children is about 70 per cent. In one report, the estimated the rate of psychological morbidity in the southern region of ] in the West Bank, to be 42.3% among Palestinian children . | |||
| The rate for boys was 46.3% and for girls, 37.8%. | |||
| This rate, the study reported, was twice the rate of psychological morbidity in the Gaza strip. | |||
| The study concluded that "Palestinian children in the southern Bethlehem region of the West Bank, Palestine, have an unusually high rate of emotional and behavioural problems", and would require "large-scale interventions ... to overcome the deleterious effects of these levels of psychological morbidity". | |||
| == Incidents since September 2000 and prior to 2004 == | == Incidents since September 2000 and prior to 2004 == | ||
| On ], ], |
On ], ], three children aged 12, 13 and 14 were killed while attempting to infilitate ] settlement in the ]. The three children - Ismail Abu Nada (12), Anwar Ill Azi Mustafa Hamarna (13) and Yosef Basem Yosef Zakut (14) - were activists of the local Islamic youth movement of the Sheikh Raduan neighbourhood in Gaza. No Palestinian group claimed responsibility for the attack, but Israeli intelligence sources attributed it to ]. Hamas, however, denied the charge and condemned the usage of children in military operations, and asked them to remember that their lives are precious, and should not be sacrificed. | ||
| According to the ]: | According to the ]: | ||
| * Since the beginning of violence in the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000, 29 suicide attacks have been carried out by youth under the age of 18. |
* Since the beginning of violence in the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000, 29 suicide attacks have been carried out by youth under the age of 18. | ||
| * Since May 2001, 22 shootings attacks and attacks using explosive devices were carried out by youth under the age of 18. |
* Since May 2001, 22 shootings attacks and attacks using explosive devices were carried out by youth under the age of 18. | ||
| * Since the beginning of 2001, more than 40 youths under the age of 18 were involved in attempted suicide bombings that were thwarted (of them, three during 2004). |
* Since the beginning of 2001, more than 40 youths under the age of 18 were involved in attempted suicide bombings that were thwarted (of them, three during 2004). | ||
| *During the same period, around 800 kids were killed by the IDF. | |||
| == Incidents in 2004 == | == Incidents in 2004 == | ||
| On ], ], one week after capturing a bomb in the bag of 12-year-old ] , possibly placed without his knowledge (some Palestinians have claimed the explosives were planted by Israelis), ], a 16-year-old Palestinian (who initially claimed he was 14) was captured in a checkpoint near ] wearing an ]. The young boy was paid by the ] militia to detonate himself at the checkpoint. IDF soldiers manning the checkpoint were suspicious of him and told him to stay away from people. Later, an ] team arrived and by using a police-sapper robot, removed the explosive belt from him. . These incidents were both widely condemned in the Palestinian press, and in the Arab world in general. | |||
| The latest incidents have caused controversy in the Palestinian society, with most expressing their dismay at the phenomenon. Although all major Palestinian groups have "publicly disavowed the use of children in military operations ... those stated policies have not always been implemented". However, the Israeli government still claims that the Palestinian Authority is inciting children to participate in militant operations and attacks, alleging that PA television broadcasts call on children to seek death, and that the PA condones posters of suicide bombers in the classrooms. | |||
| *]the IDF claiming the capture of a bomb in the bag of 12-year-old ] , possibly placed without his knowledge (some Palestinians have claimed the explosives were planted by Israelis). | |||
| ] organizations, such as ], strongly condemned the act of using children to commit attacks. | |||
| However, the family of the boy claimed that this whole story is fabricated by the IDF. When the boy returned home, he reportedly told his family and relatives "Jews told me to do this or else they would kill me." | |||
| :"Amnesty International has repeatedly condemned suicide bombings and other attacks against civilians by Palestinian armed groups as crimes against humanity. Using children to carry out or assist in armed attacks of any kind is an abomination. We call on the Palestinian leadership to publicly denounce these practices." | |||
| :"Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad and al-Aqsa Martyrs's Brigades, must put an immediate end to the use or involvement of any kind of children in armed activity." | |||
| Despite the harsh condemnation and internal controversy, Palestinian militant groups such as ] and ], have recently used children as militants and suicide bombers. On ], ], Raed Khuweir blamed ] for attempting to recruit his younger brother, aged 15, to commit a suicide attack. He said: | |||
| *], ], the IDF claimed that a 16-year-old Palestinian was captured in a checkpoint near ] wearing an ]. the IDF claimed that the young boy was paid by the ] militia to detonate himself at the checkpoint. IDF soldiers manning the checkpoint were suspicious of him and told him to stay away from people. Later, an ] team arrived and by using a police-sapper robot, removed the explosive belt from him.. These incidents were both widely condemned in the Palestinian press, and in the Arab world in general. | |||
| The armed wing of Fatah, the Aqsa Martyrs’ Brigades, has denied any involvement in the incident, accusing Israel of "concocting the whole story for the purpose of justifying the killing of more Palestinian children". | |||
| Samir Khiwairah, a Nablus journalist who personally knows the boy’s family, told Aljazeera.net that the boy’s mental capacity to distinguish things is very low. "I don't completely rule out the possibility that some evil person gave him the explosive belt and told him he would become a hero ... but this is a very tiny possibility." Khiwairah said the Israeli army had a history of "fabricating and concocting stories" for the purpose of vilifying the Palestinians and winning public relations points. | |||
| This latest incidents have caused a wave of disaproval and condemnation in the Palestinian society, all expressing their dismay at the phenomenon. Although all major Palestinian groups have "publicly disavowed the use of children in military operations ... those stated policies have not always been implemented". However, the Israeli government still claims that the Palestinian Authority is inciting children to participate in militant operations and attacks, alleging that PA television broadcasts call on children to seek death, and that the PA condones posters of suicide bombers in the classrooms . The allegation of initement by the PA and the encouragement of minors to seek death is strongly denied by the Palestinians. | |||
| *], ], Raed Khuweir blamed ] for attempting to recruit his younger brother, aged 15, to commit a suicide attack. He said: | |||
| :"They crushed my brother. These are dubious people who tarnish the reputation of the resistance by making us look like barbarians who exploit children." | :"They crushed my brother. These are dubious people who tarnish the reputation of the resistance by making us look like barbarians who exploit children." | ||
| Khuweir claimed that his younger brother was "]" by an Islamic Jihad cleric and "call on the Palestinian Authority to investigate this affair and on Islamic Jihad to reveal who these people are that deceive children, so that they really belong to the group" |
Khuweir claimed that his younger brother was "]" by an Islamic Jihad cleric and "call on the Palestinian Authority to investigate this affair and on Islamic Jihad to reveal who these people are that deceive children, so that they really belong to the group". Several weeks after the incident, the IDF arrested ] activists from ], who believed to be behind other suicide bombings by children. | ||
| On ], 2004, '']'' reported Israeli allegations that the ] were using children to recruit classmates as suicide bombers. | |||
| One child, Nasser Awartani, 15 of Nablus allegedly recruited four of his classmates, one of whom was claimed by the ] report on Awartani to be Hussam Abdo. | |||
| *], 2004, two girls - aged 14 and 15 were arrested by the IDF for what the IDF described as 'plotting a suicide bombing'. According to an IDF statement, the two minors were recruited by activists from Tanzim (]'s armed wing), guided by ]. | |||
| On ], 2004, two girls - aged 14 and 15 were arrested by the IDF for plotting a suicide bombing. According to an IDF statement, the two minors were recruited by activists from Tanzim (]'s armed wing), guided by ]. On ], the ] thwarted a suicide bombing which was to have been carried out by 16-year-old Muataz Takhsin Karini. Karini and two of his operators were arrested, while a 12 kg ] was detonated safely by an Israeli ] crew. On ], IDF forces detonated two explosive belts concealed in schoolbags. On ] the ] arrested in Kfar Maskha a suicide bomber. The bomber was identified as 17-year-old Ahmed Bushkar from ]. | |||
| On ], 2004, a 15 year-old Palestinian was killed while trying to launch an anti-tank missile into ] settlement in the ]. The ] returned fire and hit the missile, and he was apparently was killed by the explosion. Later that day, in an attempt to sabotage the ], one Palestinian was killed and a 16-year-old teen was arrested. An ] explosive charge was found nearby. | |||
| *], IDF forces claimed that they have detonated two explosive belts concealed in schoolbags. {{fact}} | |||
| On ], ], a day before ], the ] and the ] captured a 15-year-old suicide bomber and a 7 kg ] in Dir-Hana village in the ]. The 15-year-old was a part of joint terrorist cell of ] and ] from Yamon village near ]. The four were Palestinians who worked illegally in Israel. The 15-year-old teenager was paid 1000 Shekels in order to blow himself up in ]. | |||
| *] the ] claimed that they have arrested in Kfar Maskha a suicide bomber. The bomber was identified as 17-year-old Ahmed Bushkar from ]. | |||
| According to a ] report published on ], 2004 about 292 Palestinian minors have been involved in ]. , | |||
| *], 2004, the IDF claimed that a 15 year-old Palestinian was killed while trying to launch an anti-tank missile into ] settlement in the ]. The ] returned fire and hit the missile, and he was apparently was killed by the explosion. | |||
| As of the fourth quarter of ], ] still continued to be a center for the recruitment of child suicide bombers: | |||
| *], in an attempt to sabotage the ], one Palestinian was killed and a 16-year-old teen was arrested. The IDF claimed that an ] explosive charge was found nearby. | |||
| On ], 2004, a 15-year-old suspected suicide bomber was arrested in ]. . On ], Ayub Maaruf, a 16-years old ] suicide bomber, was arrested near Nablus along with his operator. | |||
| *], the ] and the ] claimed that they captured a 15-year-old suicide bomber and a 7 kg ] in Dir-Hana village in the ]. They claimed that the 15-year-old was a part of joint militant cell of ] and ] from Yamon village near ]. The four were Palestinians who worked illegally in Israel. The 15-year-old teenager was paid 1000 Shekels in order to blow himself up in ]. | |||
| On ], 16-year-old Aamer Alfar blew himself in ]'s Carmel ], killing 3 Israelis, in a suicide bombing that was claimed by the ]. Alfar's mother and father condemned what they saw as the exploitation of their son: | |||
| *], the ] published a report that claimed about 292 Palestinian minors have been involved in what the report described as ]. However, the defenition of Terrosism was not outlined in the report. , | |||
| *], 2004, the IDF claimed that a 15-year-old suspected suicide bomber was arrested in ]. This was not verified by an idependent source. . | |||
| *], the IDF claimed that Ayub Maaruf, a 16-years old ] was suicide bomber, and was arrested near Nablus along with his operator. This story too was not verified by an idependent source. | |||
| *], 16-year-old Aamer Alfar blew himself in ]'s Carmel ], killing 3 Israelis, in a suicide bombing that was claimed by the ]. Alfar's mother and father condemned what they saw as the exploitation of their son: | |||
| : "God will curse those who recruited Amar. I had heard the stories about recruiting children in Nablus but I didn't think they were true... Yes, it is difficult here for everyone because of the occupation, and life in Nablus is intolerable, but children should not be exploited in this way." | : "God will curse those who recruited Amar. I had heard the stories about recruiting children in Nablus but I didn't think they were true... Yes, it is difficult here for everyone because of the occupation, and life in Nablus is intolerable, but children should not be exploited in this way." | ||
| On ], a 15-year-old suicide bomber was arrested in ]. | |||
| == Incidents in 2005 == | == Incidents in 2005 == | ||
| On ], ], a 15- or 16 year-old Palestinian, was arrested at the ] near ] carrying a bag containing an ], an improvised gun, and 20 bullets. The belt was detonated safely by a ] ]., | |||
| On ], a 15-year Palestinian boy, identified as ], was caught at ], hiding five ]s under his coat. He tried to ignite them with a match when the soldiers apprehended him. Later he was disarmed, and ]s detonated the bombs safely. Family members of Hashash suggested that he deilberately carried bombs into an IDF checkpoint in order to be arrested and study for the "Bagrut" final ] in the Israeli jail. A week later, another Palestinian youth (aged 17) was caught carrying explosives in Beit Furik checkpoint. | |||
| On ] two ] teenagers, both aged 15 (other souces cite their ages as 12 and 13), were arrested in a checkpoint near ] after 11 ] were found on them. One teenager was recruited by the ] and the second by the ]. The two told interrogators that they had been acting as couriers for terrorists, but security forces suspect they planned to get close to the soldier and then detonate the charges. | |||
| *A week later,the IDF claimed that another Palestinian youth (aged 17) was caught carrying explosives in Beit Furik checkpoint.This story was not verified by an independent source | |||
| On ], Iad Ladi, a 14- or 15-year-old Palestinian ] was arrested at a Hawara checkpoint near ]. This was the 14th time during April-May that a Palestinian child was arrested carrying bombs as a bomber or a courier. Two days later, another 15-year-old Palestinian teen, carrying two ]s, was caught at the same checkpoint. On ], The Israeli press reported that the ] arrested a Palestinian terrorist cell in ] during the previous month. The cell included eight members, four of whom were child suicide bombers. The cell was involved in May child terrorist attacks and was on the verge of committing another suicide bombing attack, using the four minors. According to the Shin Bet, the cell was directed and funded by the ]'s ] branch and the Lebanese group ]. | |||
| *]the IDF claimed that two ] teenagers, both aged 15 (other souces cite their ages as 12 and 13), were arrested in a checkpoint near ] after 11 ] were found on them. the IDF claimed that One teenager was recruited by the ] and the second by the ]. The IDF claimed that The two told interrogators that they had been acting as couriers for militants, but security forces suspect they planned to get close to the soldier and then detonate the charges. | |||
| On ], a Palestinian teenager caught carrying explosives near Baqa al-Sharkiya, two days after another Palestinian 16-year-old was caught with explosives at the Hawara checkpoint. | |||
| *],the IDF claimed that Iad Ladi, a 14- or 15-year-old Palestinian ] was arrested at a Hawara checkpoint near ]. This was the 14th time during April-May that a Palestinian child was arrested carrying bombs as a bomber or a courier. | |||
| On ], a 14-year-old Palestinian boy was arrested by IDF forces. He told the soldiers he was forced to agree to commit a suicide bombing when two terrorists from ]'s ] faction threatened to murder him by spreading a leaflet accusing him of collabration unless he agreed. They took pictures of him with a gun and the ] and forced him to write his own will. | |||
| *Two days later, the IDF claimed that another 15-year-old Palestinian teen, carrying two ]s, was caught at the same checkpoint. | |||
| ==Incidents in 2006== | |||
| *], The Israeli press reported that the ] arrested a Palestinian militant cell in ] during the previous month. The cell included eight members, four of whom were child suicide bombers. The cell was involved in May child attacks and was on the verge of committing another suicide bombing attack, using the four minors. According to the Shin Bet, the cell was directed and funded by the ]'s ] branch and the Lebanese group ]. | |||
| On ], ], ], a 21-year-old Palestinian carried out suicide attack in ] killing 10 and wounding 70 people. There have been unconfirmed reports (and as of April 17, the ] has been stating) that Hammad was only sixteen-years-old. <sup></sup> | |||
| *], two days after another Palestinian 16-year-old was caught with explosives at the Hawara checkpoint. | |||
| *], the IDF claimed that a Palestinian teenager caught carrying explosives near Baqa al-Sharkiya, | |||
| *], the IDF claimed that a 14-year-old Palestinian boy was arrested by IDF forces. The IDF claimed that he told the soldiers he was forced to agree to commit a suicide bombing when two militants from ]'s ] faction threatened to murder him by spreading a leaflet accusing him of collabration unless he agreed. They took pictures of him with a gun and the ] and forced him to write his own will. | |||
| == See also == | == See also == | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | |||
| * ] | * ] | ||
| * ] | * ] | ||
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| * | * | ||
| * | * | ||
| === Reports on the IDF fabrication of child bomber stories=== | |||
| * Al Jazeera TV report on the case of Hussam Abdo and Muhammad Kuraan | |||
| === Reports on child suicide bombers === | === Reports on child suicide bombers === | ||
Revision as of 15:46, 3 June 2006
You must add a |reason= parameter to this Cleanup template – replace it with {{Cleanup|June 2005|reason=<Fill reason here>}}, or remove the Cleanup template.
Child suicide bombers are minors who commit or try to commit suicide attacks. The practice of using children and teenagers as suicide bombers was prevalent during the al-Aqsa Intifada , during which Palestinian armed groups have launched hundreds of suicide attacks on Israeli cities, although comparatively few bombers are minors.
Overview
In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and especially during the al-Aqsa Intifada, controversy has arisen over the participation of minors in Palestinian militant and terrorist actions. Some Palestinian militant and terrorist organizations have sought to recruit children to attack Israeli civilians and soldiers; in some instances these groups have also recruited minors as suicide bombers to attack Israeli targets, both military and civilian. The youngest successful Palestinian suicide bomber was 16-year-old Issa Bdeir, a high school student from the village of Al Doha, who blew himself up in a park in Rishon LeZion, killing a teenage boy and an elderly man.
While there have been at least nine documented suicide attacks involving minors between October 2000 and March 2004, and an Israeli military report details 229 cases of minors involved in militant activity, the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, in its 2004 Global Report on the Use of Child Soldiers reported that "there was no evidence of systematic recruitment of children by Palestinian armed groups", also noting that this remains a small fraction of the problem in other conflict zones such as Africa, where there are an estimated 20,000 children involved in active combat roles in Sudan alone. Human Rights Watch, in its report entitled "Child Soldier Use", also reported that "there was no evidence that the Palestinian Authority (PA) recruited or used child soldiers."
According to the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group, in the al-Aqsa intifada Palestinian militant groups have used children as "messengers and couriers, and in some cases as fighters and suicide bombers in attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians". Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) have all been implicated in involving children in this way, though the issue was only brought to world attention after the widely televised incident when the mentally handicapped Palestinian teenager Hussam Abdo was disarmed after television cameras had been called in . Some commentators have claimed that the Palestinian Authority, religious clerics, and the Palestinian education system incite violence by glorifying suicide bombing and violence through the concepts of "Shahadah" (the Islamic Creed) and "Jihad". However, a special report commissioned by the US Department of State and conducted by the Israel/Palestine Center for Research and Information found that "The overall orientation of the curriculum is peaceful despite the harsh and violent realities on the ground. It does not openly incite against Israel and the Jews. It does not openly incite hatred and violence. Religious and political tolerance is emphasized in a good number of textbooks and in multiple contexts." .
Other commentators have called suicide bombers "an explosion of decades of despair", claiming that they are more likely motivated by "living under military siege, and because so many of their fellow Palestinians have been maimed and killed" than Islamic fanatacism and "dreaming of being rewarded with 72 virgins in Paradise". Some of them argue that the Israeli policy of pursuing reprisals against the families of the bombers (usually via the demolition of their homes) calls into question whether the youths are capable of making an informed choice regarding the consequences of their actions.
A number of groups, including the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the current President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas, claim that many children are paid by militant groups such as Hamas or the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades to throw pipe bombs at Israeli soldiers, often resulting in severe injuries and handicaps to the children through premature detonation. Between September 2000 and March 2004, "Palestinian non-governmental groups documented the deaths of 30 children actively involved in organized military action... Most of the deaths occurred as a result of accidents with explosives or during armed clashes with Israeli troops". According to Israeli Security Forces, there have been 229 cases of minors involved in militant activity. Some Palestinians and commentators have claimed that the role that money plays in this is highly doubtful given the large amount of stone throwing at tanks by children on their own.
Incidents since September 2000 and prior to 2004
On April 24, 2002, three children aged 12, 13 and 14 were killed while attempting to infilitate Netzarim settlement in the Gaza Strip. The three children - Ismail Abu Nada (12), Anwar Ill Azi Mustafa Hamarna (13) and Yosef Basem Yosef Zakut (14) - were activists of the local Islamic youth movement of the Sheikh Raduan neighbourhood in Gaza. No Palestinian group claimed responsibility for the attack, but Israeli intelligence sources attributed it to Hamas. Hamas, however, denied the charge and condemned the usage of children in military operations, and asked them to remember that their lives are precious, and should not be sacrificed.
According to the Israel Defense Forces:
- Since the beginning of violence in the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000, 29 suicide attacks have been carried out by youth under the age of 18.
- Since May 2001, 22 shootings attacks and attacks using explosive devices were carried out by youth under the age of 18.
- Since the beginning of 2001, more than 40 youths under the age of 18 were involved in attempted suicide bombings that were thwarted (of them, three during 2004).
Incidents in 2004
On March 24, 2004, one week after capturing a bomb in the bag of 12-year-old Abdullah Quran , possibly placed without his knowledge (some Palestinians have claimed the explosives were planted by Israelis), Hussam Abdo, a 16-year-old Palestinian (who initially claimed he was 14) was captured in a checkpoint near Nablus wearing an explosive belt. The young boy was paid by the Tanzim militia to detonate himself at the checkpoint. IDF soldiers manning the checkpoint were suspicious of him and told him to stay away from people. Later, an EOD team arrived and by using a police-sapper robot, removed the explosive belt from him. . These incidents were both widely condemned in the Palestinian press, and in the Arab world in general.
The latest incidents have caused controversy in the Palestinian society, with most expressing their dismay at the phenomenon. Although all major Palestinian groups have "publicly disavowed the use of children in military operations ... those stated policies have not always been implemented". However, the Israeli government still claims that the Palestinian Authority is inciting children to participate in militant operations and attacks, alleging that PA television broadcasts call on children to seek death, and that the PA condones posters of suicide bombers in the classrooms.
Human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, strongly condemned the act of using children to commit attacks.
- "Amnesty International has repeatedly condemned suicide bombings and other attacks against civilians by Palestinian armed groups as crimes against humanity. Using children to carry out or assist in armed attacks of any kind is an abomination. We call on the Palestinian leadership to publicly denounce these practices."
- "Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad and al-Aqsa Martyrs's Brigades, must put an immediate end to the use or involvement of any kind of children in armed activity."
Despite the harsh condemnation and internal controversy, Palestinian militant groups such as Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and Islamic Jihad, have recently used children as militants and suicide bombers. On March 31, 2004, Raed Khuweir blamed Islamic Jihad for attempting to recruit his younger brother, aged 15, to commit a suicide attack. He said:
- "They crushed my brother. These are dubious people who tarnish the reputation of the resistance by making us look like barbarians who exploit children."
Khuweir claimed that his younger brother was "brainwashed" by an Islamic Jihad cleric and "call on the Palestinian Authority to investigate this affair and on Islamic Jihad to reveal who these people are that deceive children, so that they really belong to the group". Several weeks after the incident, the IDF arrested Fatah activists from Nablus, who believed to be behind other suicide bombings by children.
On May 29, 2004, The New York Times reported Israeli allegations that the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades were using children to recruit classmates as suicide bombers.
One child, Nasser Awartani, 15 of Nablus allegedly recruited four of his classmates, one of whom was claimed by the Shabak report on Awartani to be Hussam Abdo.
On June 16, 2004, two girls - aged 14 and 15 were arrested by the IDF for plotting a suicide bombing. According to an IDF statement, the two minors were recruited by activists from Tanzim (Fatah's armed wing), guided by Hezbollah. On July 3, the Israeli Security Forces thwarted a suicide bombing which was to have been carried out by 16-year-old Muataz Takhsin Karini. Karini and two of his operators were arrested, while a 12 kg explosive belt was detonated safely by an Israeli EOD crew. On June 5, IDF forces detonated two explosive belts concealed in schoolbags. On July 14 the Shin Bet arrested in Kfar Maskha a suicide bomber. The bomber was identified as 17-year-old Ahmed Bushkar from Nablus.
On August 7, 2004, a 15 year-old Palestinian was killed while trying to launch an anti-tank missile into Rafiah Yam settlement in the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces returned fire and hit the missile, and he was apparently was killed by the explosion. Later that day, in an attempt to sabotage the Israeli Gaza Strip Barrier, one Palestinian was killed and a 16-year-old teen was arrested. An IED explosive charge was found nearby.
On September 23, 2004, a day before Yom Kippur, the Shin Bet and the Israel Police captured a 15-year-old suicide bomber and a 7 kg explosive belt in Dir-Hana village in the Western Galilee. The 15-year-old was a part of joint terrorist cell of Tanzim and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from Yamon village near Jenin. The four were Palestinians who worked illegally in Israel. The 15-year-old teenager was paid 1000 Shekels in order to blow himself up in Afula.
According to a Shabak report published on September 26, 2004 about 292 Palestinian minors have been involved in terrorism. ,(DOC, Hebrew)
As of the fourth quarter of 2004, Nablus still continued to be a center for the recruitment of child suicide bombers:
On September 27, 2004, a 15-year-old suspected suicide bomber was arrested in Nablus. . On October 28, Ayub Maaruf, a 16-years old Fatah suicide bomber, was arrested near Nablus along with his operator.
On November 1, 16-year-old Aamer Alfar blew himself in Tel Aviv's Carmel Market, killing 3 Israelis, in a suicide bombing that was claimed by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Alfar's mother and father condemned what they saw as the exploitation of their son:
- "God will curse those who recruited Amar. I had heard the stories about recruiting children in Nablus but I didn't think they were true... Yes, it is difficult here for everyone because of the occupation, and life in Nablus is intolerable, but children should not be exploited in this way."
On November 4, a 15-year-old suicide bomber was arrested in Nablus.
Incidents in 2005
On February 3, Mahmoud Tabouq, a 15- or 16 year-old Palestinian, was arrested at the Hawara checkpoint near Nablus carrying a bag containing an explosive belt, an improvised gun, and 20 bullets. The belt was detonated safely by a Magav bomb squad.(Haaretz), (video)
On April 12, a 15-year Palestinian boy, identified as Hassan Hashash, was caught at Hawara checkpoint, hiding five pipe bombs under his coat. He tried to ignite them with a match when the soldiers apprehended him. Later he was disarmed, and sappers detonated the bombs safely. Family members of Hashash suggested that he deilberately carried bombs into an IDF checkpoint in order to be arrested and study for the "Bagrut" final exams in the Israeli jail. A week later, another Palestinian youth (aged 17) was caught carrying explosives in Beit Furik checkpoint.
On April 27 two Palestinian teenagers, both aged 15 (other souces cite their ages as 12 and 13), were arrested in a checkpoint near Jenin after 11 explosive charges were found on them. One teenager was recruited by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the second by the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. The two told interrogators that they had been acting as couriers for terrorists, but security forces suspect they planned to get close to the soldier and then detonate the charges.
On May 22, Iad Ladi, a 14- or 15-year-old Palestinian suicide bomber was arrested at a Hawara checkpoint near Nablus. This was the 14th time during April-May that a Palestinian child was arrested carrying bombs as a bomber or a courier. Two days later, another 15-year-old Palestinian teen, carrying two pipe bombs, was caught at the same checkpoint. On June 15, The Israeli press reported that the Shabak arrested a Palestinian terrorist cell in Nablus during the previous month. The cell included eight members, four of whom were child suicide bombers. The cell was involved in May child terrorist attacks and was on the verge of committing another suicide bombing attack, using the four minors. According to the Shin Bet, the cell was directed and funded by the Fatah's Tanzim branch and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.
On July 6, a Palestinian teenager caught carrying explosives near Baqa al-Sharkiya, two days after another Palestinian 16-year-old was caught with explosives at the Hawara checkpoint.
On October 11, a 14-year-old Palestinian boy was arrested by IDF forces. He told the soldiers he was forced to agree to commit a suicide bombing when two terrorists from Fatah's Tanzim faction threatened to murder him by spreading a leaflet accusing him of collabration unless he agreed. They took pictures of him with a gun and the Qur'an and forced him to write his own will.
Incidents in 2006
On 17 April, 2006, Sami Hammad, a 21-year-old Palestinian carried out suicide attack in Tel Aviv killing 10 and wounding 70 people. There have been unconfirmed reports (and as of April 17, the Israeli Broadcasting Authority has been stating) that Hammad was only sixteen-years-old.
See also
- al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades
- Female suicide bomber
- Hamas
- Islamic extremist terrorism
- Islamikaze
- Military use of children
- Palestinian political violence
- Palestinian Islamic Jihad Movement
- Suicide attack
- Terrorism
External links
General
- Video of the incident in Hawara checkpoint - Hussam Abdo is being disarmed from the explosive belt (Israeli Channel 2 News, reporter: Roni Daniel - opens video stream on your desktop)
- In memory of the 106 Israeli children and 550 Palestinian children killed in the Intifada
- BBC interview with 15-year-old attempted suicide bomber
Reports on child suicide bombers
- Palestinians exploit children for terror - Background - Israeli Ministry of Foreign Affairs report
- HRW report: "Israel/Palestinian Authority: Child Soldier Use 2003"
- "Children Under Fire" (Amnesty International)
- Critique of the Amnesty International Report from HonestReporting.com
- The Use of Palestinian Children in the Al-Aqsa Intifada by Justus Reid Weiner (1 November 2000) - JCPA
- Child Abuse in the Palestinian Authority By Justus Weiner (2 October 2002)
- Long piece from the NY Review of Books - setting a context and discussing ordinary Palestinian reaction to Child Suicide Bombers
Reports and allegations of incitement and indoctrination of violence
- PA Indoctrination of Children to Seek Heroic Death for Allah
- Palestinian Child Abuse
- Palestinian children in combat support roles. Behavior mirrors teachings in PA schoolbooks and popular culture by Itamar Marcus & Barbara Crook (17 October 2004)
- BBC article on Islamic Jihad "summer school" for Child Suicide Bombers