Israel steps up violence against jailed Palestinian children: rights group

A Palestinian rights group on Saturday accused Israel of raising the level of physical torture against Palestinian children in Israeli jails.

About 86 percent of imprisoned children faced a high level of physical torture during detention and interrogation, the Labors Movement to Defend Children-Palestine said in a statement on its website.

It said the level of torture this year has increased by 10 percent compared to last year, adding that the majority of Palestinian children go to interrogation alone without being accompanied by families.

"Palestinian children in Israeli prisons face ill treatment. This phenomenon is widespread in all Israeli jails and prisons and it is well-organized," the group added.

It further said that when children are arrested, they are taken to interrogation with eyes folded and hands and legs cuffed and that they are deprived from regular sleeping.

"About 55 percent of the imprisoned children are getting naked once they are physically searched," said the movement, adding "children are forced to sign documents in Hebrew while they are under interrogation."

It also said that 500 to 700 children aged 12 are getting arrested and immediately taken to Israeli military courts where they are convicted for throwing stones on Israeli vehicles.

Ayed Abu Iqteesh, a director in the movement, said "Palestinian children imprisoned in Israeli jails have been facing for more than one decade bad treatment and a well-organized system of torture."

"Although Israel has amended its military orders over the past two years to improve its image, it failed to put an end to the ill-treatment and torture of imprisoned Palestinian children in its jails," said Abu Iqteesh. Endit