2023 to become deadliest year ever for young Palestinians, Human Rights Watch warns

According to research by Human Rights Watch, 2022 was the deadliest year for young Palestinians in the West Bank in 15 years, and this year is on track to surpass that record. As of 22 August, Israeli forces had already killed 34 Palestinian children in the West Bank.

"Israeli forces are increasingly shooting and killing Palestinian children living under occupation," said Bill Van Esveld, deputy children's rights director at Human Rights Watch. "Unless Israel's allies, especially the United States, pressure Israel to change course, more Palestinian children will be killed."

The investigation examined each of the 34 incidents by interviewing witnesses, family members and experts, and by analysing evidence such as CCTV footage and social media content. While some of the Palestinian children were involved in confrontations with objects such as rocks, Molotov cocktails or fireworks, the response by Israeli forces appeared disproportionate and may have violated international norms on the use of lethal force, Human Rights Watch wrote.

Lack of accountability

The report also condemned the lack of accountability for these actions. The NGO called for international intervention to address these actions and prevent further tragedies. The investigation underscores the urgent need for a comprehensive solution that protects the lives of innocent Palestinian children caught in a cycle of violence and impunity, Human Rights Watch concluded.

The conflict has killed 187 Palestinian civilians and 23 Israeli civilians this year, according to the UN. The far-right Israeli government of Benjamin Netanyahu has exacerbated tensions in the region by planning to build more than 4,000 settlements in the occupied West Bank. "Colonisation is illegal & an obstacle to peace," the Belgian foreign ministry tweeted in response last June.

^{© PHOTO JAAFAR ASHTIYEH / AFP}