YEAR-IN-REVIEW: VIOLATIONS AGAINST PALESTINIAN CHILDREN UNREMITTING IN 2020 Dec 31, 2020

Israeli forces shot and killed 15-year-old Ali Ayman Saleh Abu Alia on December 4, 2020, in the occupied West Bank. (Photo: Courtesy of Abu Alia family)

End of Year Letter from Ayed Abu Eqtaish, Defense of Children International – Palestine

As this difficult year comes to a close, our team is taking a moment to reflect on the challenges Palestinian children faced in 2020. Our year-in-review analysis exposes the different ways Israeli forces violated the human rights of Palestinian children this year, even as COVID-19 triggered months of isolation, economic hardship, and health crises for hundreds of thousands of Palestinians living under Israeli military occupation.

Read Defense for Children International – Palestine’s year in review »

We mourned the loss of nine Palestinian boys between the ages of 14 and 17 killed by Israeli forces over the course of the year, including 15-year-old Ali Abu Alia, who Israeli forces shot dead on his birthday. These children will never grow up to live with justice and freedom.

Acting as the legal representative of Palestinian children unlawfully killed by Israeli forces, DCIP submitted legal observations to the International Criminal Court in March. Israeli authorities must be held responsible for killing Palestinian children, and we will continue pursuing justice and accountability through all available mechanisms.

Our field team documented 55 injuries to Palestinian children like 16-year-old Mohammad Moqbel, who was detained by Israeli forces after a soldier broke his jaw with a rifle stock. He is finally out on bail after receiving legal aid from one of DCIP’s lawyers.

Israeli forces continued arresting and detaining Palestinian children, putting children in grave danger in crowded conditions during the pandemic. Our legal team defended and supported 193 Palestinian children charged in the Israeli military court system, ensuring that they had free legal representation and an advocate in their corner while they endured a system that has no interest in justice.

Give a year-end gift to support Defense for Children International – Palestine »

This year, it felt like tragedy moved faster than hope could keep up. The entire world is living in a state of emergency.

We don’t know what 2021 will bring, but we are choosing to move forward with hope. Our community of Palestinian children’s rights advocates is larger and stronger than ever, and our team here in Palestine is encouraged by your solidarity and support. Thank you for all you have done during this difficult year to support Palestinian children. We’re sending you our warmest wishes for a peaceful and healthy new year.

In solidarity,

Ayed Abu Eqtaish
Accountability Program Director
Defense for Children International – Palestine