[child-rights] Palestinian Child Killed in Al 'Amari Refugee Camp by Israeli Army

For immediate release
18 July 2002

ref:  0018/02

Palestinian Child Killed in Al 'Amari Refugee Camp by Israeli Army UXO -
More Palestinian Children Killed in 7 Months Than Total Killed in 2001

Last night, 17 July 2002, a Palestinian child was killed in Al-'Amari
refugee camp in Ramallah as a result of an explosion caused by an
unexploded ordinance (UXO) from prior Israeli shelling of the camp. Ahmad
Abdul Jawad Abu Radaha, aged seven, was playing with a kite in the camp
when it fell into the yard of a nearby medical clinic. When he went to
retrieve the kite he found an unexploded missile from an Israeli
helicopter. After a period time the missile exploded and killed Ahmad, as
well as his friend Fadi Mawad Al Iyjal, 18 years old. In addition, six
other children from the camp were also injured.

The latest death in Al 'Amari, brings the total number of Palestinian
children killed by Israeli mines, UXOs or booby-trapped devices to 11
during the year 2002. On many occasions DCI/PS has warned the international
community of the dangerous threat presented to Palestinian children by
Israel's random shelling of residential areas. DCI/PS research on the
magnitude and effects of the problem of landmines and UXO in the West Bank
and Gaza Strip reveals that tens of Palestinians fall victim to landmines
and UXO each year, with an estimated 2,500 injured or killed since 1967.
This incident once again indicates the tragic consequences of the
international community refusal to take action against Israel's continuing
attacks on the Palestinian civilian population.

The death of Ahmad marks a chilling statistic demonstrating the complete
disregard in which Palestinian children's life is held by Israeli soldiers.
Ahmad is the 105th Palestinian child to be killed by Israeli forces this
year in the West Bank and Gaza Strip. This number exceeds the total number
of children killed in the entire year of 2001, and is equal to the number
of children killed in the year 2000. In the year 2000, 105 children were
killed by Israeli soldiers or settlers, in 2001 this figure was 98. Thus
Israeli forces are killing Palestinian children at a rapidly increasing
rate. Every year since 1990, Palestinian children have made up over 20% of
total Palestinian deaths in the West Bank and Gaza Strip.

Examination of statistics on children killed over the last three years
reveals two further alarming trends:

1) Israeli forces are killing significantly younger children. In the first
seven months of the year 2002, 48% of Palestinian children killed were aged
12 years and under. This number exceeds the proportion in the year 2001,
both relatively (48% compared to 34%) and also in quantitative terms (50
children compared to 33 children). It should be stressed that the figures
for the year 2002 cover the first seven months of the year while those for
2001 include the whole 12-month period.

An examination of data concerning children killed between 0-8 years shows a
further disturbing trend. The number of children killed in this age group
has been increasing on an annual basis, with 7 deaths documented in 2000,
12 in 2001, and 28 in the first 7 months of 2002.  In addition, the
percentage this age group of children represents is increasing within the
context of total number of children killed annually. In 2000, deaths of
Palestinian children 0-8 years constituted 6.6% of total children killed
(7/105). In 2001 the percentage increased to 12.2% (12/98). In the first 7
months of the year 2002, deaths in this age group constituted 26.6%
(28/105) of total child deaths. Thus, in the span of two years, the
percentage of children in this age group that have been killed has
increased by over 400%.

2) Israeli forces are killing Palestinian children using an increasing
level of force. In 2002, nearly one half of the children killed sustained
multiple fatal injuries to more than one part of the body (47%) as compared
to one-third of children in 2001. In other words, the level of deadly force
used by Israeli soldiers in 2002 has increased dramatically.

The circumstances surrounding the deaths of Palestinian children indicate
that these deaths are overwhelmingly a result of indiscriminate measures of
collective punishment including the arbitrary use of heavy fire-power
against the civilian population. The Israeli government perpetuates a
popular myth that explains Palestinian child deaths as resulting from
children being accidentally caught in "cross fire" between Palestinian and
Israeli forces. The facts indicate exactly the opposite, almost every
Palestinian child killed in the year 2002 died in circumstances where there
was no exchange of fire. The majority of children were killed when Israeli
forces randomly opened fire or shelled civilian neighborhoods in
Palestinian towns and villages. In addition, six children died when they
were denied medical treatment due to the closure imposed on Palestinian
areas. Other leading causes of death include landmines and UXOs (11 child
deaths) or being killed during assassination attempts (6 child deaths).

The level of violence to which Palestinian children have been subject by
Israeli soldiers during the recent sieges demonstrates a systematic pattern
of physical and mental abuse that will have a long-term effect on the
psycho-social development of Palestinian children. Symptoms of
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) are widespread, and all Palestinian
children's organizations report that this is a major issue that they have
been forced to address over the last period.

DCI/PS reiterates that the underlying cause of Palestinian child deaths is
the continuing Israeli occupation of the West Bank and Gaza Strip.
Currently around 700,000 Palestinians are living under house arrest as a
result of the curfews imposed on Palestinian residents since 18 June 2002.
The full meaning of this must be stressed - hundreds of thousands of
Palestinians are currently imprisoned in their homes on an almost permanent
basis while Israeli forces open fire with heavy artillery and arbitrarily
shell these homes and residential areas. It is blindingly obvious that such
a situation will inevitably lead to further child deaths and that the only
solution is the complete end to the Israeli occupation.


Defence for Children International/Palestine Section
is an independent, Palestinian non-governmental
organization, established in 1992 to promote and
protect the rights of Palestinian children as articulated
in the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child as well
as in other international instruments.

DCI/PS, P.O. Box 55201, Jerusalem
Tel:	  +972 2 240 7530
Fax:	  +972 2 240 7018
(Note: please try and use +970, if the above country code does not work)
Email:	  dcipal@palnet.com
Website:  	http://www.dci-pal.org