UNICEF announced that 13 Palestinian children have been killed in the West Bank since January 2022, “almost double the number compared to last year”, as “another 14-year-old Palestinian boy was shot and killed in Bethlehem last Friday, the third Palestinian child killed this week alone.”
Adele Khodr, UNICEF Regional Director for the Middle East and North Africa stressed that “A child is a child, and their right to life must be protected by all parties. Children should never be targeted. They should never be put in harm’s way or be exposed to violence.”
The IOF’s use of live bullets and the killing of Palestinians who do not pose any threat have increased significantly over the past few years.
In January 2022, the leadership of the IOF issued new orders allowing Israeli soldiers to shoot the Palestinians, including children, who throw stones and bottles, even after the act is finished, and they no longer pose a threat to the soldiers.
