-Caveat Lector-
http://www.counterpunch.org/
November 27, 2001
Suffer Palestine's Children
By Sunil K. Sharma
Early in the morning of November 22, five Palestinian
children were blown to pieces by an Israeli mine or
bomb as they headed to school in Khan Younis. The
children were 6 to 14 years-of-age, all from the Al
Astel family. It is unclear if the explosion was set
off by the children tripping over or kicking the
device, or via remote control.
The next day, a senior Israeli Defense Forces (IDF)
official was quoted on Israel Radio as saying a big
mistake was done. The officer admitted an undercover
army unit planted the device in the area, yet evaded
any explanation as to why it was planted in the
vicinity of a school. Yesterday, the IDF issued its
first official statement regarding the killings. An
IDF investigation revealed serious flaws in the
planting and operation of the ordnance. Following the
usual script, the IDF feigned sorrow over the deaths
of five children. The IDF claims the device was
planted in an area used by Palestinians to fire
mortars at nearby Israeli colonial settlements and
army positions. Israel Radio quoted IDF officials as
saying the device was meant to remain well hidden and
was to be set off when the Palestinian shooters
returned to the area. (quoting Ha'aretz, 11/25/01)
Israeli opposition leader MK Yossi Sarid of Meretz,
responding to IDF claims that their recent operations
in Khan Younis were designed to prevent Palestinian
attacks, stated: That's a targeted hit? Do you know
who will pass by the area [where the bomb is planted]?
It's a residential area. What kind of bombs do you
place in an area where school children pass by?
(Ha'aretz, 11/24/01)
MK Ran Cohen (Meretz) has called for a Knesset
committee to investigate the incident, expressing
dismay that the IDF sat quietly for two days before
putting out an official statement that amounts to
little more than a cover-up.
MK Uri Ariel (National Union-Yisrael Beiteinu)
disagreed, stating that IDF investigations take time
because they are thorough. I have faith in the IDF,
he stated. [Ariel] said that the army was is in the
throes of the battle in the territories, and was busy
assassinating Mahmoud Abu Hanoud [of Hamas] and so
could not concentrate solely on the investigation that
Cohen demanded. (Ha'aretz, 11/25/01)
In other words: we were too busy trying to assassinate
a Palestinian leader to investigate our killing of
Palestinian children, but now that we've taken a
five-minute breather from our assassination campaign
we can conclude from our thorough investigation that a
regretful mistake was made. Sorry kids, we'll try to
do a better job of killing the right folks next time.
The Israelis have not condemned the killings, though
some officials say an apology might perhaps be in
order.
According to the Palestinian Red Crescent Society, the
total number of Palestinians killed since the second
Intifada erupted on September 29, 2000 is 821. 16,661
Palestinians have been injured, many maimed for life.
Palestinian children under the age of 18 represent
about 1/4 of those killed.
The Israeli military's killing of Palestinian children
is not a sometimes accidental by-product of 34 years
of occupation. It is in fact a matter of deliberate
policy.
In a chilling interview conducted by Ha'aretz
correspondent Amira Hass, an IDF sharpshooter admitted
it was IDF policy to shoot at children above the age
of 12. Here is an excerpt [AH = Hass, IS =
Sharpshooter]:
(AH) You haven't shot children.
(IS) All the sharpshooters haven't shot children.
(AH) But nonetheless there are children who were hit,
wounded or killed after they were hit in the head.
Unless these were mistakes.
(IS) If they were children, they were mistakes.
(AH) Do they talk about this?
(IS) They talk to us about this a lot. They forbid us
to shoot at children.
(AH) How do they say this?
(IS) You don't shoot a child who is 12 or younger.
(AH) That is, a child of 12 or older is allowed?
(IS) Twelve and up is allowed. He's not a child any
more, he's already after his bar mitzvah. Something
like that.
(AH) Thirteen is bar mitzvah age.
(IS) Twelve and up, you're allowed to shoot. That's
what they tell us.
(AH) Again: Twelve and up you're allowed to shoot
children.
(IS) Because this already doesn't look to me like a
child by definition, even though in the United States
a child can be 23.
(AH) Under international law, a child is defined as
someone
up to the age of 18.
(IS) Up until 18 is a child?
(AH) So, according to the IDF, it is 12?
(IS) According to what the IDF says to its soldiers.
I don't know if this is what the IDF says to the
media.
(AH) And children are from 12 down. Is there no order
that between 12 and 18 you shoot at the legs and not
the head?
(IS) Of course we try to see to it that he really is
over
20.
(AH) In the 10 seconds that you have.
(IS) In the 10 seconds that I have, I have to
estimate how old he is.
(AH) And in what
