November 8, 2024
On Thursday night, the Israeli Parliament (Knesset) approved a temporary provision allowing judges to sentence minors as young as 12 to prison if they are found guilty of murder for “terrorist” motives
The bill was introduced by the ultranationalist Jewish Power party.
Minors aged 12 to 14 can be sentenced to prison and held in a facility until they turn 14, at which point Israeli law permits transferring them to jail.
In Israel, criminal responsibility starts at age 12, but prison sentences could only be applied from age 14. The new provision is temporary, set to be in force for five years, but it may be renewed in two-year periods after its expiration.
A similar law was in effect from 2016 to 2020 but was not renewed. The bill was introduced by members of the ultranationalist Jewish Power party, led by the National Security Minister, settler Itamar Ben Gvir.
Since late October, the Israeli Parliament has passed a series of controversial measures, including banning the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), deporting relatives of “terrorists” to Gaza, and dismissing teachers for expressing support for the Palestinian cause.
The Zionist state often uses the term “terrorist” indiscriminately to refer to those suspected of engaging in resistance actions against the Israeli occupation in the West Bank or Gaza. The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) condemned the law, accusing the Israeli authorities of punishing children for their “resistance and rejection of the occupation, in violation of international treaties” on children’s rights. Hamas recalled that Israeli forces have killed more than 17,000 children during their offensive against Gaza, and called on the international community to “stand up to this fascist law.
Israel Passes Law to Imprison Palestinian Children Aged 12 – teleSUR English
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