[News] Number of Palestinian children killed rises to 545 on Palestinian Child Day

[News at freedomarchives.org]

The Palestine Monitor
A PNGO Information Clearinghouse

UPDATE
Number of Palestinian children killed rises to 545 on Palestinian Child Day

6 April, 2004

http://www.palestinemonitor.org/updates/palestinian_child_day.htm

Israeli troops saw in Palestinian Child Day yesterday by killing two
boys and another young man in Hajour Adiq, north of the Al Buriej
refugee camp in the Gaza Strip.

Imad Arajourdi (17), Mohammad Erweda (17), and Mohammad Abu Samaderneh
(19), all from the Al Buriej camp, were hit by tank shells in the early
hours of yesterday morning. Local residents said they had heard tank
fire at about 1am, but Palestinian security and medical services were
not informed of the deaths until 9 in the morning and the bodies were
not handed over until the afternoon and had not been properly preserved
during the intervening hours.

The Israeli forces said they had feared the three were planting mines on
a road near the Netzarim settlement, but later admitted the three had
been unarmed. It seems likely they were trying to enter Israel to find
work.

The deaths of Imad Arajourdi and Mohammad Erweda bring the number of
children killed by Israeli forces since the beginning of the Intifada to
545. In addition to these deaths, the Palestinian Authority's ministry
for prisoners' affairs has called for international pressure for the
release of 348 Palestinian children locked in Israeli jails.

The ministry declared that in addition to these 348 children, 209
children have turned 18 in Israeli captivity. A ministry statement
expressed particular concern for 30 incarcerated children who are sick
and not receiving sufficient medical care, and 24 children who have been
detained without charge. The statement pointed out that Israeli action
in the Occupied Territories is a flagrant violation of international
laws and conventions that should guarantee the rights of children in
times of war and conflict.

To coincide with Palestinian Child Day, the Palestinian Central Bureau
of Statistics released a report that found that 70.3% of the child
population in the Occupied Territories currently lives below the poverty
line. In the West Bank, 59.5% of children live in poverty, while in Gaza
this figure rises to 88.2%. In total, 1,321,000 Palestinian children
have been condemned to lives of deprivation and disease by the
occupation.

http://www.palestinemonitor.org/updates/palestinian_child_day.htm
For more information contact: The Palestine Monitor
+972 (0)2 298 5372 or +972 (0)59 387 087
http://www.palestinemonitor.org



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