September 13, 2002
The Impact of Conflict on Children in Occupied Palestinian Territory and IsraelThe Watchlist estimates that over 370 children under age18 have been killed since September 2000, and thousands more have been injuredin violence between Israelis and Palestinians.[1]Children represent approximately 15 percent of all individuals killed in thattime period. Israeli and Palestinian children are also suffering seriousphysical and psychosocial effects from the escalation of violent conflict. Insome cases, they themselves have perpetrated violence. This report is a call for immediate action to protect Palestinian andIsraeli children.[2]
INDICATORS
Introduction toGeneral Indicators
The following are basic indicators on the situation ofPalestinian and Israeli children and adolescents. While efforts are being madeto monitor and report on violations of the rights of Palestinian children inthe Occupied Palestinian territory (OPT),[3]there are gaps in available data due to difficulties in gathering and sharinginformation and lack of access to vulnerable populations. There are also gapsin the types of data being collected for both Palestinian and Israeli childrenregarding problems like gender-based violence and HIV/AIDS.
| Occupied Palestinian Territory | Israel | |
|---|---|---|
| Population | Estimated 3,300,000 (OPT) Estimated 1,800,000 (53%) under age 18 |
6,040,000 total 2,022,000 (33.5%) under age 18 |
| Voting Age | Age 18 (Palestinian National Election, 2000) | Age 18 (Israeli Government Elections) |
| GDP per Capita | 70% of population living below poverty line. During periods of curfews unemployment is as high as 63.3%. GDP US$1,578 (1999 estimate) |
Currently in economic recession. Estimated 10% unemployment. GDP US$18,900 (2000 estimate) |
| Refugee and Internally Displaced Populations | Approximately 1.5 million registered Palestinian refugees. Over 50% are estimated to be children. Gaza: Estimated 875,000 registered refugees, of whom 468,000 (55%) live in camps. Estimated 240,000 children live in camps. West Bank: Estimated 625,000 registered refugees, of whom 168,000 (27%) live in camps. Estimated 76,000 children live in camps. At least 3,500 Palestinians, including children, have recently been forcibly displaced from their homes in OPT. (2002) |
Israel hosts approximately 4,700 refugees. (end 2001)
Some Jewish immigrants and children of immigrants have sought refuge in Israel from persecution and conflict in their countries of origin, including Arab nations, former Soviet Republics, Ethiopia, Latin America, Europe and elsewhere. |
| Infant Mortality | 25.5 deaths per every 1,000 live births. (1995-1999) |
8 deaths per every 1,000 live births. (1999) |
| Occupied Palestinian Territory | Israel | |
| HIV/AIDS Rates | 44 reported HIV/AIDS cases in OPT (2000). No child-specific data is available. |
Estimated total: 2,400. Estimated children: fewer than 100. |
| Education Indicators | Approximately 600,000 children were able to attend school on a regular basis in April 2002. 98% of children of primary school age were enrolled in school year 1999-2000. |
96% gross enrollment rate (primary school). 86% gross enrollment rate (secondary school). |
| Voluntary and Compulsory Recruitment | 18 is the voluntary recruitment age for the Palestinian police and security forces. Age 17 is applied in special cases per Jordanian law. Compulsory recruitment is not applicable, as there is no national military force. |
Age 18 (compulsory and voluntary). |
| Child Soldiers | Children and adolescents are known to participate in various armed groups and perpetrate violence, including suicide bombings. |
In January 2002, Israel announced that it would end the deployment of youth under age 18 and stop accepting conscripts before their 18th birthday. |
| Gender-Based Violence[5] (GBV) | There has been no systematic documentation of conflict-related GBV. Israeli armed forces are alleged to have conducted degrading strip searches, made sexual threats and perpetrated other forms of GBV, including against adolescent boys and child prisoners. |
There has been no systematic documentation of conflict-related GBV. |
| Landmines and Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) | Landmines and UXO killed 11 children in OPT in 2002.[6] Approximately 2,500 Palestinians, including many children, have been injured or killed by mines or UXO since 1967 in OPT. Occupied Palestinian Territory |
No data on the number of landmine victims is available.[7] The exact number of landmines and UXO is unknown. The U.S. Department of State estimates 260,000 mines in Israel, West Israel |
| Landmine and UXO (continued) | The number of landmines and UXO in OPT is unknown. Israel has declared at least 16 known minefields in OPT. These fields were planted by Britain (during the Mandate period), Jordan and Israel. UXO from Israeli military training and action remain in OPT. Palestinian armed groups are also reported to use landmines, booby traps and pipe bombs. |
Bank, Gaza Strip and Golan Heights planted by Israel and by Britain, Jordan, Syria and others. Israel stated in 1999 that at least 350 minefields exist in areas that serve no strategic value. Other minefields are known to exist. Israel has not acceded to the Mine Ban Treaty and reportedly continues to use mines near borders, in sensitive areas and in OPT. |
| Small Arms | The exact number of small arms in circulation among Palestinians in OPT is unknown. Estimates indicate that there are approximately 15,000 registered and between 60,000 and 100,000 more small arms in circulation. |
An estimated 265,000 Israelis own private firearms. Another 45,000 are thought to own illegal firearms. (2002) |
(Note: Statistics are based on reports from variousorganizations that have conducted research in OPT and Israel. See sourcesbelow.)
INTERNATIONAL STANDARDS
Palestinian Authority (PA) |
Israel | |
Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC) Optional Protocol on Involvement of Children in Armed Conflict Optional Protocol on the Sale of Children, Child Prostitution and Child Pornography |
The PA officially endorsed the Convention on the Rights of the Child in 1995.[8] Endorsed |
Ratified 1991 Signed 2001 Signed 2001 |
| Other Treaties Ratified | International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights; International Covenant on Economic, Social and Cultural Rights; International Convention of the Elimination on All Forms of Racial Discrimination; Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women; Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment; Refugee Convention and 1967 Protocol |
|
| UN Security Council Resolutions | Hundreds of UN Security Council resolutions address matters related to Israel and OPT, including the "land for peace" resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973). Most recently, in 2002, UNSC res. 1391, 1397, 1402, 1403, 1405 and 1415 address these matters (see below). None of the resolutions specifically address children’s rights and security. |
|
International humanitarian law provides for theprotection of civilians, including children, in situations of armed conflict.The Convention on the Rights of the Child emphasizes the special protectionsdue to children in situations of armed conflict (art. 38). In the case of thisconflict, the duty to protect children falls upon both the State of Israel andthe Palestinian Authority (PA). Both Israeli and Palestinian officials havethree major obligations: to protect children, to prevent military and securityforces under their control from committing abuses against children and othercivilians and to adequately investigate abuses and bring the perpetrators tojustice.
All parties are accountable to international human rights and humanitarian law,including the Geneva Conventions and all standards for protection of civiliansunder occupation.[9] Underinternational law, Israel is responsible for the protection of civilians,including children, in Israel, the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem.This includes obligations to respect lives and property and facilitatehumanitarian access for all civilians in those areas. Israel rejects the de jure applicability of itsresponsibilities in the West Bank and Gaza Strip and its actions have harmedchildren, who should be afforded special protectionsaccording to international standards. The PA is also responsible forprotecting children in those areas and often fails to do so. Violent attackstargeting Israeli civilians, particularly children, are a violation ofinternational law and a rejection of international standards of child protection.Under the Geneva Conventions, the PA and Palestinian armed groups areresponsible for preventing armed attacks against civilians, including children.
FOCUS ONPALESTINIAN CHILDREN
SUMMARY
The situation described in this section relates primarilyto the escalation in violence and focuses on Palestinian children living insideOPT. There is evidence that both stateand non-state actors have violated the rights of Palestinian children. SinceSeptember 2000, it is estimated that over 300 Palestinian children have beenkilled and over 7,000 injured as a result of Israeli military operations,extrajudicial killings or denial of access to medical treatment andhumanitarian assistance. In one example, the Israeli military launched an F-16air strike into an apartment building in a residential area of Gaza City to hitthe founder of the armed wing of Hamas. Nine children, including a 2-month-oldinfant, were killed in the attack. In some instances Israeli civilians havekilled and violently injured Palestinian civilians, including children.Increasing poverty in OPT has also created new vulnerabilities for children,including an increase in malnutrition and anemia levels.
Israel’s Operation Defensive Shield (March 29, 2002, through April21, 2002) and other military actions have included destruction of property,detention, torture, ill treatment and firing at houses and people. They havealso included restrictions of movement, including those of medical patients,humanitarian aid workers, human rights observers, journalists and others. These military operationswere undertaken with the stated intention ofprotecting the security of Israeli citizens by destroying Palestinian terroristinfrastructure. However, according to the Geneva Conventions the operationsshould have ensured that children were protected.
Palestinian infrastructure, such as schools, medicaloffices and other civil institutions, has been damaged and destroyed byIsrael’s military operations. Thousands of civilians have been left withoutelectricity, water, food, medical supplies and other important goods andservices, such as garbage and sewage disposal. One humanitarian agencyestimates that 800,000 civilians living in urban areas have been deprived ofbasic services. For example, Human Rights Watch found evidence of Israel’s"indiscriminate and disproportionate use of force" and serious abuses againstcivilians, including children, in Jenin refugee camp, the site of intensefighting. The United Nation’s Secretary-General reported use of violence byboth Israeli and Palestinian combatants that placed civilians andinfrastructure in harm’s way during Israel’s military incursion into Jenin. Insome instances Israeli forces have directly targeted children’s goods andservices. In one case at a youth center in Al-Amari refugee camp, Israelisoldiers destroyed computers, musical instruments and furniture. Internationaldonors estimate damage in OPT at approximately US$370 million from the end ofMarch through the end of May 2002.
HEALTH
Israel’spolicies of curfews, closures and blockades and a general sense of insecurityhave restricted movement of Palestinian civilians in OPT. This combination ofrestrictions has a devastating impact on children, obstructing their access tohealth care, schools, places of worship and social, recreational and otheractivities. According to UNICEF, over 330,000children were confined to their homes during Israel’s Operation DefensiveShield. During the same period, approximately 500,000 children living invillages were unable to access health services.
Closures and blockades in OPT have prevented access byhumanitarian personnel and blocked movement of emergency vehicles to transportpatients and badly needed supplies. A doctor in Gaza reported to RefugeesInternational that residents in Gaza had been virtually cut off from specialisthealth services for an entire month, depriving over 3,000 patients, includingchildren, of access to health care. Immunizations,care of chronically ill patients and acute care of communicable diseases havebeen adversely affected. A child protection agency operating in OPT estimatedthat 500,000 Palestinian children have been prevented from receiving theirrequired vaccinations. In June 2002, a consortium of 32 relief agenciesoperating in OPT publicly issued their concerns about restrictive Israelipolicies that hinder the delivery of humanitarian aid to Palestiniancivilians.
TheIsraeli military has targeted and shot at humanitarian convoys, ambulances andpersonnel of the International Committee of the Red Cross and others. In oneexample, a convoy of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for PalestineRefugees in the Near East (UNRWA) reportedly came under fire during thedelivery of formula for premature infants to the Ramallah hospital despiteprior coordination of the convoy with the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF).
Insome cases, the IDF has failed to let ambulances pass checkpoints to reachhospitals, even after conducting searches. The government of Israel assertsthat ambulances have been used to transport terrorists and their weapons. Insome cases the severe delay of patients at checkpoints has led to children’sdeaths. One NGO reports that at least 14 pregnant women gave birth atcheckpoints or before reaching a medical facility; such delays have resulted inobstetric complications, and two such cases resulted in the death of newborninfants. On August 27, 2002, the PersonalHumanitarian Envoy of the UN Secretary-General reported that Israeliauthorities agreed to limit checkpoint stops for ambulances to no more than 30minutes and to create systems to ease the burden on pregnant women and theseriously ill.
Palestinian children are in urgent need of food assistance due to limited supplies and access tofood, as well as to increased poverty resulting from large portions of thelabor force being unable to reach their places of employment in OPT or insideIsrael.According to preliminary findings of a new survey on health and nutrition, 13.2percent of children under five in the West Bank and Gaza are suffering fromchronic malnutrition and 9.3 percent from acute malnutrition.[10]These levels are significantly higher than findings of a similar study conducted two years ago by the U.S.Agency for International Development and the Palestinian Central Bureau ofStatistics. The 2002 preliminary findings also report that nearly one fifth ofPalestinian children of ages 6 to 59 months are moderately or severely anemic,which can lead to impaired learning and growth development.
The survey alsoreveals the impact of the economic collapse and restrictions on freedom ofmovement in OPT on food consumption. Fifty-three percent of households in thesurvey reported that they have had to borrow money to purchase food. Somehouseholds attributed the decrease in food consumption to lack of availabilityof food. The market survey revealed shortages among wholesalers of high-proteinfoods such as fish, chicken and dairy products, particularly infant formula andpowdered milk. Additionally, households reported a decrease in spending on suchhigher-priced food items.
By mid-2002, the international community and the regionalparties took steps reflecting the growing concern over the humanitarian crisisin OPT. In August 2002, the UN Secretary-General appointed Catherine Bertini asa Personal Humanitarian Envoy to assess the nature and scale of the Palestinianhumanitarian crisis. Several international agencies and governments announcedplans to increase food assistance and other emergency aid in OPT to alleviateshortages. Israelis and Palestinians are engaged in negotiations to address thehumanitarian situation, and Israel has released the first of three installmentsof withheld Palestinian tax revenues.
EDUCATIONMovementrestrictions, shelling and bombardment of educational facilities and a sense ofinsecurity have severely limited children and teachers’ access to schools. Israelimilitary forces have attacked Palestinian schools and educational facilities,and at times children have been present. One hundred and twelve ofapproximately 1,760 schools in OPT were damaged between the end of March 2002and August 2002, according to UNICEF. Eleven of these were completelydestroyed. NGOs report that 275 educational programs were severely disrupted andthat educational facilities and materials have been systematically destroyed.Israeli military actions damaged the Palestinian Ministry of Education and insome cases Palestinian schools have been used as detention facilities, basesfor Israeli military operations or closed by military order.
UNICEF calculates that approximately 600,000 Palestinianchildren of school-age children in OPT were unable to attend school on aregular basis during Israel’s Operation Defensive Shield. The closure ofschools has had a particularly negative impact on girls in secondary schools. Education under occupation, a recentreport by Save the Children (UK and Sweden)documents the negative impact of closures and curfews on Palestinianeducation. These effects include preventing children from attending school,leaving them filled with anxiety, bored and isolated. Of the children surveyedin the report, from four areas particularly impacted by violence, almost allreported seeing a soldier or crossing a checkpoint on their way to school. Twohundred seventy five schools in OPT are within 500 meters of an Israelimilitary post.
Movement restrictions also obstruct school construction,hamper national curriculum training and reduce teacher time. Teachers have beenunable to reach their classrooms, and teacher/student ratios have increased,raising concerns about educational effectiveness. In Gaza, approximately 337teachers were unable to reach their classrooms during Operation DefensiveShield. In total, UNICEF reports 55,000 lost teaching sessions and 11,000missed classes. All 24 schools in Jabalia refugee camp have operated at somepoint on a double-shift system. Schools near Ramallah report having combinedmore than one grade in the same classroom. At the end of the school year 2002,many children in OPT were unable to sit for matriculation exams that areprerequisites for graduation and university entrance.
SHELTERHouse Demolitions
Since September 2000, the IDF has demolished hundreds ofPalestinian homes, leaving thousands of children and their families homeless.UNICEF reports that 2,200 children, primarily from Jenin, were homeless in May2002. In one example, 600 people, of whom the vast majority was children, wereleft homeless in Rafah in the southern part of Gaza Strip, due to housedemolitions in January 2002. The destruction of Palestinian homes is a strategyof the Israeli military aimed at evicting civilian populations from areas theyconsider to be military zones, according to many analysts. Israeli officialscontend that demolitions are carried out to deter violent attacks againstIsraelis, to track down individuals related to such attacks and to destroytunnels used to smuggle weapons.
House demolitions are a form of collective punishment anda breach of international law. Nevertheless, in August 2002, the IsraeliSupreme Court upheld the military’s appeal to demolish the homes of Palestinianterror suspects without warning. In addition, on September 3, 2002, the IsraeliSupreme Court ruled that individuals involved with violent attacks againstIsraelis could be transferred from the West Bank to Gaza if the relatives areproven to present a danger to Israeli security. These transfers may includechildren and adolescents. The international community has widely condemnedthese decisions.
OTHERUNICEFreports that all 1.8 million Palestinian children inOPT experienced violence in some form during Israel’s Operation DefensiveShield, such as witnessing shootings, military bombardments and injury or deathof neighbors. Reports from the field describe the graphic depiction ofthe current violence on television, radio, posters and other media as having anegative impact on children’s well-being and abilities to cope. The Instituteof Community and Public Health at Bir Zeit University in the West Bank reportsthat signs of psychological distress among school children include crying, fearof loud noises, sleep disorder, nervousness, decrease in eating and weight,hopelessness and abnormal thoughts about death.
Studentshave reported difficulties concentrating in class. The report Education under occupation maintainsthat Palestinian children’s lives are tense and dominated by the violence thatsurrounds them. One child
participant in the study said: "Fear dominates, youthink about all the things that cause anxiety, you get
psychological problems.Boredom causes violence and aggression against younger children in the familyand
neighborhood.…"
A study by Bristol University (UK) looking at the impact ofpolitical violence on the lives of Palestinian 16- to 19-year-olds explainsthat many adolescents view violence as endemic and a socially justifiedproblem-solving tool. It reports that students describe their violent behavioras imitative and connected with experiences of violence and aggression byIsraeli troops. It states that students who are actively involved in streetconfrontations and political violence are more likely to use violence in theirschool and family environments. The study suggests that all of this hascontributed to an environment where domestic violence is common and childrenexperience violence by parents and teachers.
Participation in ViolenceSpecificdata about the numbers and gender of Palestinian children and adolescents who haveperpetrated or planned violent attacks or who are active with armed groups isunknown. There is no conclusive evidence that children have been recruited orsystematically used by Palestinian armed groups.
Thereare reports that some groups indoctrinate, exploit and train children andadolescents. For example, reports indicate that children have been enrolled inmilitary-style camps, which include military discipline rules and training inthe use of light arms. In some instances armed groups, such as Hamas, IslamicJihad and the Al Aksa Brigades, use children during demonstrations, dressingthem up like fighters or suicide bombers. In a few instances, children andadolescents independently devise and mount violent attacks against Israelis.
Maleand female adolescents have killed themselves and others in suicide bombingsand been implicated in plans to carry out attacks. Three adolescent suicidebombers in 2002 were the first females known to carry out suicide bombingsagainst Israelis since the escalation of violence.[11]In late April 2002, three adolescent boys, between ages 13 and 15, armed withknives and homemade bombs attempted to attack an Israeli settlement in Gaza.Israeli guards at the outskirts of the settlement shot the boys before theywere able to carry out the attack. The boys were not known to be participantsof any formal armed groups.
Some parents, adults and community leaders condemnchildren’s involvement in violence. After parents’ outcry over the involvementof their boys in the April incident, Hamas and Islamic Jihad issued a statementcalling on children not to participate in violence until they are older. Otheradults praise young Palestinians’ involvement in violent activities creating anenvironment where suicide attacks are often celebrated. Reports describe anincreasing atmosphere of anger and hostility toward Israelis and Jews.
Reports indicate that some children and adolescents,including girls, have been pressured to act as informants, or "collaborators,"by the Israeli security service, although the number of participants and extentof this practice are unknown. One child protection agency indicates thatbetween 60 and 75 percent of incarcerated children are pressured to act asinformants. Many Palestinians view collaboration as a crime, and individualssuspected of working with Israel often face violent reprisals, includingassassination. The most recent was of a 17-year-old girl accused ofcollaboration with Israel who was shot to death by the Palestinian Aksa MartyrsBrigades in August 2002.
Detention of ChildrenFrom 170 to 375 Palestinian children are held in Israelimilitary and civil detention, depending on varying reports. According toB’Tselem, an Israeli human rights group, over 2,500 Palestinians were detainedin May 2002; Defense for Children International/Palestine Section (DCI/PS)estimates that children comprise 10 to 15 percent of all detainees, whichequals between 250 and 375 children. Many have been rounded up and detainedsince the outset of Israel’s Operation Defensive Shield. B’Tselem and othergroups allege abuses, ill treatment and torture of Palestinian child andadolescent detainees in Israeli detention centers, in contravention ofinternational standards. These detainees do not have access to juvenile courtsor judges, probation officers or police officers who are specifically trainedto deal with the interrogation and detention of children.
In some cases, Palestinian children prisoners are heldwith Israeli adult prisoners and they have suffered physical abuse and sexualviolence. DCI/PS reports various forms of torture against child detainees, suchas sleep deprivation, position abuse, deprivation of food and drink,threatening language, prohibition from using the toilet and placement inisolation.
FOCUS ON ISRAELI CHILDREN
SUMMARY
Israeli children live in a growing environment ofinsecurity and fear. Israeli children are among the targets and victims ofviolent attacks carried out by armed Palestinian groups operating from OPT.Following a spate of suicide bombings, the Quartet diplomatic group (the UnitedNations, European Union, Russian Federation and United States) stated in July2002, "[We] deeply deplore today’stragic killing of Israeli civilians and reiterate [our] strong and unequivocal condemnationof terrorism." Since September 2000, approximately 72 Israeli children inIsrael and in Israeli settlements have been killed by suicide bombings andother violent attacks. A coalition of NGOs in Israel raised concerns with theUN Committee on the Rights of the Child, alleging that the direct targeting ofIsraeli children appears to be a major strategy of armed Palestinian groups.
The composition of Israeli society is complex and isaffected by conflict on many different levels. The majority of Israeli childrenare Jewish. They come from families who have lived in Israel for severalgenerations, or from immigrant families who have sought refuge in Israel frompersecution and conflict elsewhere or have moved to Israel for ideological,religious or other reasons.
Israel also hasa significant Muslim and Christian Arab population, approximately 20 percent ofthe total. As a minority group, Arab Israeli children face their own unique setof challenges, related to socioeconomic, educational and legal inequalitiesamong others. They are also in the difficult position of being the citizens ofa country caught up in conflict with their Arab Palestinian kin in the WestBank and Gaza Strip. This has resulted in stress, trauma and fear about thefuture for many Arab Israeli children. At the same time, as citizens of Israel,the Arab children share many of the same dangers and security fears about thearmed conflict as Jewish Israeli children. All of these factors impact eachchild’s individual and group ability to cope with the escalation in violence.
HEALTH
For various reasons, directly and indirectly linked to the armedconflict, Israel is in an economic recession, with approximately 10 percentunemployment, increasing poverty and widening socioeconomic gaps. Large-scalemilitary and defense spending has left social, environmental and other programsthat support children short funded. Some child protection and other socialagencies call for increased state spending in education, healthcare and specialneeds of disabled and other vulnerable groups. Most recently, pediatricintensive care units have reported a need for more beds due to increased childinjuries during suicide bombings and other violent attacks. In another example,one social welfare agency explained that anecdotal and other evidence showsthat HIV/AIDS is a significant problem among adolescents. However, littleattention or national resources are spent on assessing the problem, testing oron education and awareness programs.
EDUCATION
Palestinian armed groups have attacked Israeli students and educationalfacilities. In July 2002, the armed group Hamas detonated a bomb by remotecontrol at Israel’s Hebrew University in Jerusalem, killing and injuringstudents.[12] Palestinianarmed groups have also detonated bombs and perpetrated violent attacks againstschool buses carrying Israeli school children and against public buses nearschool grounds.
Concerns related to educational standards in Israel arenot generally tied to the current atmosphere of violence. However,discrepancies in budget allocation, educational standards, attendance rates anddrop-out rates for Jewish and Arab Israelis and high levels of violence inschools can be linked to the ongoing conflict. A study conducted in 2000, beforethe recent escalation in violence, found that fear of violence in school or onthe way to and from school often led students to avoid attending school. Atthat time, 15.7 percent of elementary students, 6.5 percent of junior highstudents and 4.6 percent of high school students reported avoiding going toschool at least once a month due to fear of violence. In 2002, Israeli NGOsreported that on average only half of the Ministry of Education’s requisitenumber of psychologists is available at schools across social sectors.
Otherrelated problems include increased adolescent delinquency and school dropoutrates. According to a local NGO assisting at-risk youth, 5 percent ofJewish-Israeli adolescents and 33 percent of Arab-Israeli adolescents are not attendingschool. An additional 7 percent of youngsters in Israel are defined as "covertdropouts," meaning they are registered at school, but attend class infrequentlyand perform poorly and may be at risk for delinquent behavior. As many as60,000 junior high and high school students in Israel are defined asunderachievers. In addition, local authorities and youth services reportedlyassist less than half of all adolescents considered to be "alienated" fromschools and social services. Girls in particular are reported to attract lessattention from local services and are less likely to seek help on their own.
OTHER
Psychosocial Impact Suicide bombings, drive-by shootings andother violent attacks on Israeli civilians by armed Palestinians have leftIsraeli children and adolescents gripped with fear. The threat of futureattacks has created an atmosphere of insecurity in Israel, which has limitedchildren’s ability to move about, to attend school and to participate insocial, cultural, religious and other events. A recent story in the Israelinewspaper Ha’Aretz explained: "they [agroup of high school students] seem to be living in a state of tension andfear. They’re afraid to travel, afraid to go out at night, afraid to meetfriends after school, afraid for themselves and their relatives who might gethurt in an attack. The past year undermined their sense of confidence andsecurity."Accordingto groups in Israel assisting victims of suicide bombings and other attacks,some Israeli children are seeking assistance to help them cope with the traumaof witnessing violence. Reports indicate that the conflict has created a deepsense of gloom and pessimism among Israeli children and that many are losinghope for their own futures and the possibility of peace in the region. AnIsraeli psychologist reported: "We are seeing a lot of children suffering fromregression — bed wetting, insisting on sleeping in their parents’ bed. Somehave terrible nightmares. Others are depressed. They lose their appetites andjust watch TV all day."
Reportsalso point to Israeli children and adolescents’ growing intolerance and angertoward Arabs. One Israeli mother told a news reporter that her 14-year-old isvery suspicious and searches the faces on buses for possible suicide bombers.Open expressions of hatred toward Arabs and Arab children are increasing.
Small ArmsMany Israelicivilians in Israel and in Israeli settlements in OPT carry small arms, citingpersonal security concerns. Gun sales have reportedlyrisen since the escalation in violence, including in Israeli settlements.
UN SECURITY COUNCIL ACTIONSTheUN Security Council has passed many resolutions on the conflict in the MiddleEast, with special attention to the "Question of Palestine." Between Januaryand April 2002 alone, the Council passed six resolutions related to the MiddleEast conflict: UNSC res. 1391, 1397, 1402, 1403, 1405 and 1415. Theseresolutions have varied in content. They have stressed the safety of civiliansand respect for international humanitarian law; expressed sorrow for attacksagainst Israeli civilians and condemned terrorism; expressed concern for thedire humanitarian situation of Palestinian civilians; and affirmed a vision ofa region where two States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side withinsecure and recognized borders.
UNSecurity Council resolutions on children and armed conflict call for SecurityCouncil action to protect children in specific conflicts (UNSC res. 1263, 1314and 1379). UN Security Council Resolution 1379 (2001) states, "The SecurityCouncil expresses, accordingly, its determination to give the fullest attentionto the question of the protection of children in armed conflict whenconsidering the matters of which it is seized" (paragraph 3). Yet, none of the resolutionson the Middle East refer to the special protection needed for children.
RECOMMENDATIONS FOR UNSECURITY COUNCIL ACTION
Protection of Palestinian and Israeli children can only be achieved by animmediate and sustained cessation of all violence in OPT and Israel, with thefullest commitment by all leaders. This should be the primary objective of allefforts to protect children. At the same time, the UN Security Council shouldcall for the following actions to improve children’s situation:
ImmediateActionProtection for Palestinian Children
Protection for Israeli Children
OngoingAction
AdameerPrisoners Support and Human Rights Association and Defense for ChildrenInternational-Palestine Section, PalestinianPrisoner’s Day: Thousands of Palestinians Blindfolded, Handcuffed and Tortured,April 17, 2002
Amnesty International
Israel/Occupied Territories: Demolition of houses is an act ofcollective punishment, January 14, 2002
Israel/Occupied Territories: The heavy price of Israeli incursions,April 4, 2002
Israel/Occupied Territories: Israeli military action is collectivepunishment, April 12, 2002
Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, and theInternational Commission of Jurists, JointStatement, April 7, 2002
Anti-DefamationLeague, Palestinian Kindergartners BeingSchooled in Hate, http://www.adl.org/Terror/kindergartners.asp
Bir Zeit University, Institute of Community and PublicHealth
Life and Health During the Israeli Invasion of the West Bank: The Townof Jenin, May 22, 2002
Environmental and Public HealthCrisis Emerging in Western Ramallah Villages, June 3, 2002
The Effects of Israel’s Operation Defensive Shield on PalestinianChildren Living in the West Bank, June 29, 2002
The Impact of Armed Conflict on Palestinian Women, Eileen Kuttab (Commissioned by UNIFEM), April 2002
Bristol University, UnderstandingAdolescent Violence: Lessons from Palestine, 2002
www.id21.org/society/e2ha1g1.html
BostonGlobe, As Attacks Spiral, Gun Sales Soar,April 6, 2002
B’Tselem
Sexual Harassment ofPalestinian Women, 1996
Torture of PalestinianMinors at the Gush Etzion Police Station, July 2001
Fatalities in the al-Aqsa Intifada, www.btselem.org
Coalitionto Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, GlobalReport 2001, and additional information 2002
Coalition of Womenfor a Just Peace, Svirsky, Gila, ThePrice of 35 Years of Occupation, May 28, 2002
Defense for Children International – Israel Section andThe Israeli Children’s Rights
Coalition,NGO Comments on the Initial Israeli StateReport on Implementing the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, 2002
Defensefor Children International/Palestine Section
Violations of PalestinianChildren’s Rights Stemming from the Israeli Occupation, April 1, 2002
Update on Children, April 8, 2002
Hundreds of PalestinianChildren Arrested in the Last Twelve Days, April 9, 2002
Siege on Palestine: Effectsof the Israeli Siege on Palestinian Children, May 10, 2002
The Reality of Occupation:Israeli Violations of Palestinian Child Rights, June 2001
Palestinian Child Killed inAl’Amari Refugee Camp by Israeli Army UXO, July 18, 2001
The Problem of Landmines andUXO in the Occupied Palestinian Territory, 2002
GazaCommunity Mental Health Programme, First GCMHP Study on the PsychosocialEffects of Al-Aqsa Intifada, www.gcmhp.net
Global IDP Database: Israel, www.db.idpproject.org
Ha’aretz
As Terror Mounts, So Do GunSales,March 6, 2002
Conflicted Youth, April 24, 2002
Gaza Palestinians DenounceUse of Children in Suicide Attacks, April 25, 2002
Explosives, Lack ofEquipment Hamper Jenin Rescue Teams, April 25, 2002
HumanRights Watch
Second Class: Discriminationagainst Palestinian Arab Children in Israel’s Schools, 2002
Israel/Occupied Territories:Jenin War Crimes Investigation Needed, May 3, 2002
Israel: Decision to Stop Useof "Human Shields" Welcomed, May 10, 2002
InternationalCampaign to Ban Landmines, LandmineMonitor Report 2001
InternationalCommittee of the Red Cross, The ICRCcalls for respect of the medical mission, March 27, 2002
InternationalLabour Conference, Report on thesituation of workers of the occupied Arab Territories, June2002
InternationalYouth Foundation and JDC-Brookdale Institute, An Overview of Children and Youth in Israel: Policies, Programs andPhilanthropy, 1996
Israeli Supreme CourtDecision, HCJ 7015/02, Ajuri v. IDF Commander, September 3, 2002
JerusalemPost, Would-be woman suicide bombernabbed in Tulkarm, April 12, 2002
Miftah
The Effects of Israel’s Operation Defensive Shield, July 3, 2002
The Impact of Israeli Attacks and Closures on Palestinian Economic Life,August 2, 2002
NewYork Times
Palestinian Children,Increasing Signs of Malnutrition, June 26, 2002
For Arab Informers, Death;For the Executioners, Justice, September 1, 2002
OCHA Weekly Humanitarian Update Occupied PalestinianTerritories, August 26, 2002
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[1] Thisestimate is drawn from reports of Defense for Children International: PalestineSection, B’tselem and the Terror Victims Association.
[2] Readersinterested in the historical and political context of the conflict should referto sources cited at the end of this report and other works on this subject.
[3] The HighContracting Parties of the Geneva Conventions, the International Committee ofthe Red Cross, the United Nations and other international groups have continuedto recognize the West Bank, Gaza Strip and East Jerusalem as territory occupiedby Israel. At time of writing, Israeli military forces are engaged in OperationDetermined Path and have militarily reoccupied seven Palestinian populationcenters in OPT, including those where authority had been previously transferredto the Palestinian Authority under the Oslo peace process.
[4] Every Jew’sright to immigrate to Israel is set out in the Law of Return 5710-1950.
[5] Gender-based violence (GBV) is an umbrella termused for any harm that is perpetrated on a person against her/his will that hasa negative impact on the physical and/or psychological health, development andidentity of the person and is the result of gendered power relationshipsdetermined by social roles ascribed to males and females. Violence may bephysical, sexual, psychological, economic or sociocultural, and is almostalways and across all cultures disparately impacting women and children.
[6] This numberis estimated from January through August 2002.
[7] According tothe International Campaign to Ban Landmines, statistics of landmine and UXOvictims in Israel are not available because mine victims are listed under theumbrella category of "Victims of Hostile Activities."
[8] The PA hasbeen unable to ratify this and other international conventions because of itsnon-state status.
[9] There arediverse interpretations of the application of international law in this crisis.For more information, readers should refer to sources cited at the end of thereport and other works on this subject.
[10] The surveyswere funded by the United States Agency for International Development andcarried out by CARE International, Al Quds University, Johns Hopkins Universityand Global Management Consulting Group.
[11] Estimatesof their ages range from 17 to 19.
[12] Studentskilled and injured in this attack were 18 and older.
[13] CurrentlyUNICEF is mandated by the UN General Assembly to advocate for the protection ofchildren’s rights globally, including Israeli children through the IsraelNational Committee for UNICEF.
[14] Readersinterested in contacting these groups should contact the Watchlist.
TheWatchlist works within the framework of the provisions adopted in SecurityCouncil Resolutions 1261, 1314, and 1379, the principles of the Convention onthe Rights of the Child and its protocols, and other internationally adoptedhuman rights and humanitarian standards.
Informationis collected through an extensive network of organizations that work withchildren around the world. Analysis is provided by a multi-disciplinary team ofpeople with expertise and/or experience in the particular situation. Information in the public domain may bedirectly cited in the report. Allsources are listed in alphabetical order at end of report to protect the privacyof sources.
Generalsupervision of the project is provided by a Steering Committee of internationalnon-governmental organizations known for their work with children and humanrights. The views presented in anyreport do not represent the views of any one organization in the network or onthe Steering Committee.