Use of child suicide bombers by Palestinian militant groups

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Child suicide bombers are minors who commit or try to commit suicide attacks. During al-Aqsa Intifada, Palestinian armed groups have launched 150 suicide attacks on Israeli civilian and military targets, of these attackers, 9 are minors aged 16-18 years. The five militant groups fighting the Israeli occupation all have declared policies against the use of minors as suicide bombers. The involvement of the minors in suicide attacks comes on the background of a chronic conflict in which children have been the main victim. It is estimated that during the same period, around 500 Palestinian children were killed by the Israeli troops and thousands more injured.

Overview

File:Dying to Kill by Mia Bloom cover.jpg

A Palestinian girl wears toy explosive belt on the bookcover of Dying to Kill: The Allure of Suicide Terror by Mia Bloom.

In the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, and especially during the al-Aqsa Intifada, controversy has arisen over the participation of minors in Palestinian militant. There were allegations by Israel that some Palestinian militant organizations have sought to recruit children to attack Israeli civilians and soldiers; and that in some instances these groups have also recruited minors as suicide bombers

There have been nine documented suicide attacks involving minors (age 16-18) between October 2000 and March 2004. An Israeli military report details 229 cases of minors involved in what they described as militant activity, the Coalition to Stop the Use of Child Soldiers, in its 2004 Global Report on the Use of Child Soldiers reported that "there was no evidence of systematic recruitment of children by Palestinian armed groups", also noting that this remains a small fraction of the problem in other conflict zones such as Africa, where there are an estimated 20,000 children involved in active combat roles in Sudan alone. Human Rights Watch, in its report entitled "Child Soldier Use", also reported that "there was no evidence that the Palestinian Authority (PA) recruited or used child soldiers."

According to the Palestinian Human Rights Monitoring Group, in the al-Aqsa intifada Palestinian militant groups have used children as "messengers and couriers, and in some cases as fighters and suicide bombers in attacks on Israeli soldiers and civilians".

Fatah, Hamas, Islamic Jihad and the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine (PFLP) have all been implicated in involving children in this way, though the issue was only brought to world attention after the widely televised incident when the mentally handicapped Palestinian teenager Hussam Abdo was disarmed after television cameras had been called in .

A number of groups, including the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and the current President of the Palestinian National Authority Mahmoud Abbas, claim that many children are paid by militant groups such as Hamas or the Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades to throw pipe bombs at Israeli soldiers, often resulting in severe injuries and handicaps to the children through premature detonation. Between September 2000 and March 2004, "Palestinian non-governmental groups documented the deaths of 30 children actively involved in organized military action... Most of the deaths occurred as a result of accidents with explosives or during armed clashes with Israeli troops".

According to Israeli Security Forces, there have been 229 cases of minors involved in in what they described as militant activity. Some Palestinians and commentators have claimed that the role that money plays in this is highly doubtful given the large amount of stone throwing at tanks by children on their own.

Incidents since September 2000 and prior to 2004

On April 24, 2002, the IDF claimed that three children aged 12, 13 and 14 were killed while attempting to infilitate Netzarim settlement in the Gaza Strip. The three children - Ismail Abu Nada (12), Anwar Ill Azi Mustafa Hamarna (13) and Yosef Basem Yosef Zakut (14) - were activists of the local Islamic youth movement of the Sheikh Raduan neighbourhood in Gaza. No Palestinian group claimed responsibility for the alleged attack, but Israeli intelligence sources attributed it to Hamas. Hamas, however, denied the charge and condemned the usage of children in military operations, and asked them to remember that their lives are precious, and should not be sacrificed. The Palestinians claim that the three kids were intentionally killed by the Israeli Ocuupation Army while playing near the settlement.

According to the Israel Defense Forces:

Since the beginning of violence in the Al-Aqsa Intifada in 2000, 29 suicide attacks have been carried out by youth under the age of 18.
Since May 2001, 22 shootings attacks and attacks using explosive devices were carried out by youth under the age of 18.
Since the beginning of 2001, more than 40 youths under the age of 18 were involved in attempted suicide bombings that were thwarted (of them, three during 2004).
During the same period, around 1000 kids were killed by the IDF.

Incidents in 2004

On March 24, 2004, one week after the IDF claiming the capture of a bomb in the bag of 12-year-old Abdullah Quran , possibly placed without his knowledge (some Palestinians have claimed the explosives were planted by Israelis), Hussam Abdo, a 16-year-old Palestinian (who initially claimed he was 14) was captured in a checkpoint near Nablus wearing an explosive belt. the IDF claimed that the young boy was paid by the Tanzim militia to detonate himself at the checkpoint. IDF soldiers manning the checkpoint were suspicious of him and told him to stay away from people. Later, an EOD team arrived and by using a police-sapper robot, removed the explosive belt from him. The Palestinians denied this story.. These incidents were both widely condemned in the Palestinian press, and in the Arab world in general. Many Palestinians believe that these stories are fabricated by the IDF to show the Palestinians as seding their kids to death.

The latest incidents have caused controversy in the Palestinian society, with most expressing their dismay at the phenomenon. Although all major Palestinian groups have "publicly disavowed the use of children in military operations ... those stated policies have not always been implemented". However, the Israeli government still claims that the Palestinian Authority is inciting children to participate in militant operations and attacks, alleging that PA television broadcasts call on children to seek death, and that the PA condones posters of suicide bombers in the classrooms.

Human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, strongly condemned the act of using children to commit attacks in general. Talking about suicide bombings in general:"Amnesty International has repeatedly condemned suicide bombings and other attacks against civilians by Palestinian armed groups as crimes against humanity. Using children to carry out or assist in armed attacks of any kind is an abomination. We call on the Palestinian leadership to publicly denounce these practices."

"Palestinian armed groups, including Hamas, Islamic Jihad and al-Aqsa Martyrs's Brigades, must put an immediate end to the use or involvement of any kind of children in armed activity."

On March 31, 2004, Raed Khuweir blamed Islamic Jihad for attempting to recruit his younger brother, aged 15, to commit a suicide attack. He said:

"They crushed my brother. These are dubious people who tarnish the reputation of the resistance by making us look like barbarians who exploit children."

Khuweir claimed that his younger brother was "brainwashed" by an Islamic Jihad cleric and "call on the Palestinian Authority to investigate this affair and on Islamic Jihad to reveal who these people are that deceive children, so that they really belong to the group". Several weeks after the incident, the IDF arrested Fatah activists from Nablus, who believed to be behind other suicide bombings by children.

On May 29, 2004, The New York Times reported Israeli allegations that the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades were using children to recruit classmates as suicide bombers. One child, Nasser Awartani, 15 of Nablus allegedly recruited four of his classmates, one of whom was claimed by the Shabak report on Awartani to be Hussam Abdo. However these allegations were never proved to be true, and the child in question was never questioned by an independent source. This sheds alot of doubt on the many IDF allegations of this kind.

On June 16, 2004, two girls - aged 14 and 15 were arrested by the IDF for what the IDF described as plotting a suicide bombing. According to an IDF statement, the two minors were recruited by activists from Tanzim (Fatah's armed wing), guided by Hezbollah.

On July 3, the Israeli Security Forces thwarted a suicide bombing which was to have been carried out by 16-year-old Muataz Takhsin Karini. Karini and two of his operators were arrested, while a 12 kg explosive belt was detonated safely by an Israeli EOD crew. On June 5, IDF forces claimed that they have detonated two explosive belts concealed in schoolbags. On July 14 the Shin Bet claimed that they have arrested in Kfar Maskha a suicide bomber. The bomber was identified as 17-year-old Ahmed Bushkar from Nablus.

On August 7, 2004, the IDF claimed that a 15 year-old Palestinian was killed while trying to launch an anti-tank missile into Rafiah Yam settlement in the Gaza Strip. The Israel Defense Forces returned fire and hit the missile, and he was apparently was killed by the explosion. The Palestinian clain that the boy was not involved in any military ooeration and was killed by the IDF shell directly.

Later that day, in an attempt to sabotage the Israeli Gaza Strip Barrier, one Palestinian was killed and a 16-year-old teen was arrested. The IDF claimed that an IED explosive charge was found nearby.

On September 23, 2004, a day before Yom Kippur, the Shin Bet and the Israel Police claimed that they captured a 15-year-old suicide bomber and a 7 kg explosive belt in Dir-Hana village in the Western Galilee. The 15-year-old was a part of joint militant cell of Tanzim and Palestinian Islamic Jihad from Yamon village near Jenin. The four were Palestinians who worked illegally in Israel. The 15-year-old teenager was paid 1000 Shekels in order to blow himself up in Afula.

According to a Shabak report published on September 26, 2004 about 292 Palestinian minors have been involved in what they described as terrorism. However, the defenition of Terrosism was not outlined in the report. The report did not clarify what is meant by terrorism. ,(DOC, Hebrew)

As of the fourth quarter of 2004, the IDF claimed some other incidents in Nablus:

On September 27, 2004, the IDF claimed that a 15-year-old suspected suicide bomber was arrested in Nablus. This was not verified by an idependent source. . On October 28, the IDF claimed that Ayub Maaruf, a 16-years old Fatah was suicide bomber, and was arrested near Nablus along with his operator. This story too was not verified by an idependent source.

On November 1, 16-year-old Aamer Alfar blew himself in Tel Aviv's Carmel Market, killing 3 Israelis, in a suicide bombing that was claimed by the Popular Front for the Liberation of Palestine. Alfar's mother and father condemned what they saw as the exploitation of their son:

"God will curse those who recruited Amar. I had heard the stories about recruiting children in Nablus but I didn't think they were true... Yes, it is difficult here for everyone because of the occupation, and life in Nablus is intolerable, but children should not be exploited in this way."

On November 4,the IDF again claimed that a 15-year-old suicide bomber was arrested in Nablus. This story was not verified by an independent source.

Incidents in 2005

On February 3, Mahmoud Tabouq, the IDF claimed that a 15- or 16 year-old Palestinian, was arrested at the Hawara checkpoint near Nablus carrying a bag containing an explosive belt, an improvised gun, and 20 bullets. The belt was detonated safely by a Magav bomb squad. This story was not verified by an independent source.(Haaretz), (video)

On April 12,the IDF claimed that a 15-year Palestinian boy, identified as Hassan Hashash, was caught at Hawara checkpoint, hiding five pipe bombs under his coat. He tried to ignite them with a match when the soldiers apprehended him. Later he was disarmed, and sappers detonated the bombs safely. Family members of Hashash suggested that he deilberately carried bombs into an IDF checkpoint in order to be arrested and study for the "Bagrut" final exams in the Israeli jail. The intentions of the alleged boy were not verified by an independent source. A week later,the IDF claimed that another Palestinian youth (aged 17) was caught carrying explosives in Beit Furik checkpoint.This story was not verified by an independent source

On April 27the IDF claimed that two Palestinian teenagers, both aged 15 (other souces cite their ages as 12 and 13), were arrested in a checkpoint near Jenin after 11 explosive charges were found on them. the IDF claimed that One teenager was recruited by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad and the second by the al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades. The IDF claimed that The two told interrogators that they had been acting as couriers for militants, but security forces suspect they planned to get close to the soldier and then detonate the charges.

On May 22,the IDF claimed that Iad Ladi, a 14- or 15-year-old Palestinian suicide bomber was arrested at a Hawara checkpoint near Nablus. This was the 14th time during April-May that a Palestinian child was arrested carrying bombs as a bomber or a courier. Two days later, the IDF claimed that another 15-year-old Palestinian teen, carrying two pipe bombs, was caught at the same checkpoint. On June 15, The Israeli press reported that the Shabak arrested a Palestinian militant cell in Nablus during the previous month. The cell included eight members, four of whom were child suicide bombers. The cell was involved in May child attacks and was on the verge of committing another suicide bombing attack, using the four minors. According to the Shin Bet, the cell was directed and funded by the Fatah's Tanzim branch and the Lebanese group Hezbollah.

On July 6, the IDF claimed that a Palestinian teenager caught carrying explosives near Baqa al-Sharkiya, two days after another Palestinian 16-year-old was caught with explosives at the Hawara checkpoint.

On October 11, the IDF claimed that a 14-year-old Palestinian boy was arrested by IDF forces. The IDF claimed that he told the soldiers he was forced to agree to commit a suicide bombing when two militants from Fatah's Tanzim faction threatened to murder him by spreading a leaflet accusing him of collabration unless he agreed. They took pictures of him with a gun and the Qur'an and forced him to write his own will.