Palestinians condemn Israel's decision to toughen penalty against stone-throwers

A Palestinian official condemned on Tuesday the Israeli Knesset's (parliament) approval of a law hiking up punishments against Palestinian stone-throwers.

The law contradicts the international law and legalizes major violations against Palestinians, Issa Qaraqe, head of the detainees and ex-detainees affairs committee in the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO), told Xinhua.

Qaraqe considered this law as "an announcement of war against Palestinian detainees.

He added that the committee has filed a report to the UN's Human Rights Council regarding the Israeli measures against detainees, particularly children.

On Monday, the Israeli Knesset passed in a final reading a law making three years in prison the minimum penalty for rock throwers, the Israeli public radio reported.

Israeli forces have arrested more than 1,500 Palestinians since the outbreak of the current wave of violence and tension between Israel and the Palestinians, Qaraqe said.

About 800 of the detainees arrested last month were minors, the committee said in a press statement.

"Children detention has become a systematic Israeli policy that aims to destruct the new generation of Palestinians and attempts to destroy the lives of children," the committee added.

It pointed out that Israel is the only country to prosecute children in military law like adults, whereas 500-700 children are annually prosecuted in these courts.

The committee added that a majority of children "are subjected to brutal torture, harassment and inhumane treatment during their detention and interrogation by soldiers and investigators."

The committee said that Israel has arrested around 8,500 children since 2000, the majority of them were sentenced in military courts for accusations related to throwing rocks. Endit