Indoctrination of Children- Policy Proposal to the ICC
Summary of Input to the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court
To Renew the Policy Paper on Crimes Against or Affecting Children
For the full report, press here
The Jerusalem Institute of Justice has submitted its substantive input to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court as part of their public consultation aimed at updating the policy paper concerning crimes against or affecting children. The primary objective of this public consultation, in which our organization actively engages, is to enhance the effectiveness of investigations and prosecutions pertaining to crimes committed against or adversely impacting children. JIJ actively works to raise awareness and combat the utilization of children in hostilities, highlighting the significance of addressing indoctrination as a means of exerting psychological pressure on children to join armed groups.
The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court does not explicitly define the actions of conscripting, enlisting, or using children in hostilities. Instead, the scope of these activities is determined by referencing relevant treaties, principles of international law, and general legal principles derived from national legal systems, all in line with internationally recognized human rights standards. The ICC Trial Chamber I acknowledged that children under 15 are typically unable to give genuine and informed consent when enlisting. Given the interpretive nature of the Rome Statute, indoctrination can be considered within the purview of enlisting or conscripting as it involves imposing prescribed beliefs, inhibiting critical evaluation, and fostering violence normalization. Indoctrination plays a significant role in exerting psychological pressure on children to join armed groups or forces, and its methods can range from formal education to military-oriented summer camps, mass media, and online networks.
The involvement of children as combatants in conflict situations not only jeopardizes their own well-being and development but also poses a threat to the prospects of peace and stability in affected regions. Children exposed to violence during their formative years are at risk of becoming agents of violence themselves, hindering their potential as contributors to lasting peace. Conflict-affected children suffer enduring mental and physical trauma, with child soldiers experiencing even greater levels of violence as witnesses and perpetrators. This trauma can manifest in various disorders, impacting their mental health, behavior, and education. The consequences of children's trauma extend beyond their individual experiences, profoundly shaping communities and societies. Transgenerational effects are observed, with former child soldiers more likely to exhibit violent behavior and trauma potentially being passed down to their children, perpetuating a cycle of violence and contributing to ongoing conflicts. Recognizing the broader impact and intergenerational nature of child soldiering highlights the urgent need to address this issue as a means to break the cycle of violence and promote sustainable peace.
For the full report, press here
Indoctrination of Children- Policy Proposal to the ICC
Summary of Input to the Office of the Prosecutor at the International Criminal Court
To Renew the Policy Paper on Crimes Against or Affecting Children
For the full report, press here
The Jerusalem Institute of Justice has submitted its substantive input to the Office of the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court as part of their public consultation aimed at updating the policy paper concerning crimes against or affecting children. The primary objective of this public consultation, in which our organization actively engages, is to enhance the effectiveness of investigations and prosecutions pertaining to crimes committed against or adversely impacting children. JIJ actively works to raise awareness and combat the utilization of children in hostilities, highlighting the significance of addressing indoctrination as a means of exerting psychological pressure on children to join armed groups.
The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court does not explicitly define the actions of conscripting, enlisting, or using children in hostilities. Instead, the scope of these activities is determined by referencing relevant treaties, principles of international law, and general legal principles derived from national legal systems, all in line with internationally recognized human rights standards. The ICC Trial Chamber I acknowledged that children under 15 are typically unable to give genuine and informed consent when enlisting. Given the interpretive nature of the Rome Statute, indoctrination can be considered within the purview of enlisting or conscripting as it involves imposing prescribed beliefs, inhibiting critical evaluation, and fostering violence normalization. Indoctrination plays a significant role in exerting psychological pressure on children to join armed groups or forces, and its methods can range from formal education to military-oriented summer camps, mass media, and online networks.
The involvement of children as combatants in conflict situations not only jeopardizes their own well-being and development but also poses a threat to the prospects of peace and stability in affected regions. Children exposed to violence during their formative years are at risk of becoming agents of violence themselves, hindering their potential as contributors to lasting peace. Conflict-affected children suffer enduring mental and physical trauma, with child soldiers experiencing even greater levels of violence as witnesses and perpetrators. This trauma can manifest in various disorders, impacting their mental health, behavior, and education. The consequences of children's trauma extend beyond their individual experiences, profoundly shaping communities and societies. Transgenerational effects are observed, with former child soldiers more likely to exhibit violent behavior, and their trauma potentially being passed down to their own children, perpetuating a cycle of violence and contributing to ongoing conflicts. Recognizing the broader impact and intergenerational nature of child soldiering highlights the urgent need to address this issue as a means to break the cycle of violence and promote sustainable peace.
For the full report, press here
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KIDS NOT SOLDIERS
Battlefield experiences have a tendency to remain with us throughout our life. Nearly 20 years have passed and I still recall like it happened yesterday, the face of that small helpless Palestinian girl the combatant, her uncle, gripped in one hand. In his other hand, he was holding an automatic rifle, shooting at me and my unit. I do not know her name or what happened to her. What I do know is that she was a victim. A victim of tragic life circumstances. He was the relative of a wanted terrorist from Gaza. When my unit and I arrived to arrest his cousin, he left the house clutching the girl and firing at us. He knew that she was his only chance to escape.
This experience will surely stick with me, but it also tells a broader story and highlights a worrying phenomenon.
The Palestinian systematic and widespread use of children, as young as ten, to take an active part in hostilities against Israel has become an alarming reality. Innocent Palestinian children serve as human shields and fulfill a wide range of military duties. From supporting the home front to active participation in hostilities. Their involvement is dependent upon the current need and upon their maturity and set of skills.
The roots of this phenomenon of exploiting young children in combat are based on institutional and widespread indoctrination. A well-structured brainwashing system for toddlers, as young as three, prepares the ground for an effective and well-oiled mechanism of targeting, recruiting and training children. This mechanism is maintained by a scheme of financial incentives for the children and their families.
Behind this cynical exploitation of the weakest in society, stand prominent Palestinian leaders, who see human rights as irrelevant. They are the planners and the executers of this despicable strategy.
Creating an entire generation of children educated on the values of hatred and martyrdom will perpetuate the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Long-standing incitement and assuring world fame for those who murder Israelis, will bring more and more children to choose a violent path and lower the motivation (which is not high anyway) to promote a peaceful solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. This perverse education system is also shaping the future generations of Palestinian leadership.
A simple profit-loss analysis reveals that the only ones who profit from the use of children for militia purposes, is the Palestinian leadership, whether by increasing their fighting forces or for the purpose of creating false propaganda in the case of the unfortunate death of children.
Theoretically, the tools to fight the growing use of children for militia purposes, are available. Among them we find, progressive legal codifications and designated tribunals to prosecute those responsible. Along with intergovernmental organizations, civil society organizations and designated international conventions to address this issue. And yet, as long as the political motivation of those involved continues to blur the boundaries between good and evil, ignores the facts on the ground and refuses to acknowledge the existence of this phenomena propagated by Palestinian leadership, a prolonged struggle lies ahead.
As of today, unfortunate and surprising as it may sound, the United Nations International Children’s Emergency Fund (UNICEF) refuses to recognize the use of children by the Palestinian leadership as weapons of war. UNICEF simply shows no real commitment to put aside political interests and protect the real victims.
The international community must be the voice for Palestinian children. It must sharply and clearly condemn any use of children for combat purposes. UNICEF, for its part, must acknowledge and condemn the Palestinian leadership.
No one promised us that this struggle would be short or easy, but we see some positive signs coming from the direction of the International Criminal Court in The Hague (ICC). The fact that along with the ICC’s political and controversial determination to investigate Israelis, the ICC also expressed its intensions to investigate Hamas for criminal acts against the Palestinian civilian population; such as murder and torture, as well as using them as human shields, is a step in the right direction. I’m proud to say that the efforts of the Jerusalem Institute of Justice, succeeded to convince the ICC to accept the legal and evidentiary infrastructure we presented to it, calling for the investigation into Hamas’ war crimes and holding Palestinian leaders responsible.
This week, as we are observing Palestinian Child Soldiers week, we take the opportunity to raise awareness, stand in solidarity with Palestinian children and join the call on UNICEF to demand Hamas, Palestinian Islamic Jihad, PFLP and the PLO to operate in accordance with the 2007 Paris Principles and end the systemic indoctrination and use of Palestinian children in military efforts of any type.
Adv. Uri Morad
Dir. International Law & Public Diploma
Jerusalem Institute of Justice
Torture of Palestinians - Revealing the Truth
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W_rhMEGWy-I
Torture and other inhuman treatment is a daily phenomenon in Palestinian prisons.
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Does Humanity End at the Border?
In a world where oppression and punishment are a means of securing power, respect for human life becomes scarce and is replaced by inhumanity and suffering. But do we really know what is happening on the other side of Israel's border?
Imagine that you and your family live somewhere in the West Bank. One day, you discover that a child is about to be used as a suicide bomber to blow up a bus. A desire to do everything possible to prevent a child from becoming a suicide bomber and averting the death of many innocent people is a natural response for you and me. However, under the Palestinian Authority (PA), this response would be grounds for receiving a life sentence and thus commences a nightmare. Because you have tried to stop a fatal attack, you will be arrested and all the people around you will pay a price.
First, it starts with your child. Let’s say your child was born prematurely and she needs to remain in an incubator that provides an environment that allows her to properly mature.
However, because the PA operates like a machine of terror; cruel and creative forms of inhumane acts are implemented against individuals as a form of punishment. And for this reason, because you saved innocent people, the PA decided not to give your child the necessary treatment and they expel your child from the hospital. Consequently, an innocent child is severely handicapped not only physically but also psychologically for all her life. Still, the punishment goes on.
You might be imprisoned and subjected to many different types of torture, such as being tied to a post and beaten until losing consciousness, burnt with cigarettes, having boiling and cold water thrown on you, having your nails and teeth ripped out, being electrocuted and deprived of sleep and food. The methods of torture are endless. This is not a nightmare or fiction, but rather the reality of many Palestinian citizens who oppose the politics of the PA or take a stand against acts of terror. This is one of the many real cases that occurred under the PA regime which JIJ has documented and reported.
Palestinian security forces systematically inflict ill-treatment and torture on their citizens as a form of government policy, cruelly disrespecting human rights. The PA speaks worldwide, appealing for the rights of the Palestinians and their territories, but it is the PA who violates the rights of its own citizens by secretly shedding blood and putting in place an oppressive machine to destroy all who disagree with their acts.
The Oslo Agreement was signed in September 1993 by the State of Israel and the Palestine Liberation Organization (PLO). The Palestinian Authority (PA) was then created in 1994 to govern the Gaza Strip and the West Bank (areas A and B). However, the Palestinians have not complied with the provisions of the treaty. Violent clashes broke out between the two Palestinian factions: Hamas and Fatah following the January 2006 Palestinian Legislative Council (PLC) elections. Thus, in 2007, Hamas lost its ruling position in the West Bank, being replaced by Fatah and independent members. Hamas, in turn, expelled Fatah from Gaza and retained control of that area. This division resulted in two separate administrations: the Palestinian Authority, led by Fatah under Mahmoud Abbas controlling the West Bank; and control of the Gaza Strip by Ismail Haniyeh, Hamas's leader. These groups have since then exercised effective control over everything that happens in those regions.
Palestinian witnesses reported and described the abuses that the PA had perpetrated against them, including abduction, imprisonment, torture, and rape. The PA reportedly murdered and illegally detained many of their citizens intentionally and premeditatedly to intimidate its civilians.
This is condemned by international criminal law. A crime against humanity is characterized as any of the atrocious acts indicated in art.7 of the Rome Statute, committed in the framework of a widespread or systematic attack against the civilian population, with knowledge of that attack. Thus, illegal acts include sexual assault, torture, murder, kidnapping, and imprisonment.
The international legal standard of general human rights must be met by all governments and regimes in order to ensure peace, prosperity and the welfare of individuals. It falls upon society as a whole to prevent crimes against humanity from occurring. Therefore, the best definition of international crimes is that which contemplates the idea of acts performed by states or individuals, and that violate principles and rules that protect values to which humanity attaches great importance. According to the Rome Statute, crimes against humanity can occur in times of war or peace. In this article, it is clear what the elements of the crime are. First, a physical element is required, such as murder, imprisonment, torture and other inhumane acts. The second element is contextual, meaning a crime is committed as part of a widespread ("large-scale nature of the attack, which should be massive, frequent, carried out collectively with considerable seriousness and directed against a multiplicity of victims") or systematic attack directed at any civilian population ("the organized nature of the acts of violence and the improbability of their random occurrence"). This means that there have to be numerous threats in a geographical area and that the violence has to follow a methodical approach. Finally, the crime must be committed with the knowledge of an attack, that is, the mental element. Beyond all these elements, crimes against humanity occur only when they are committed for the sake of a state or political organization.
In these terms, it is considered that the PA violated the human rights of its citizens by murdering, imprisoning, torturing, and kidnapping them. These acts were carried out in a judicious, organized and frequent manner to a multitude of victims, under a large-scale attack.
Palestinian citizens experienced severe physical and mental pain and suffering, which was premeditated and calculatedly caused by their leaders to oppress them and to preserve positions of leadership in both territories. This violates international human rights law. The PA controls both the police and the military as well as the courts themselves, so nothing is done to help Palestinian citizens within the West Bank. This is a cycle of violence, repression, and misery for the victims, their families, the entire Palestinian people, and potentially even their regional neighbors. Palestinian leaders must realize that because they have signed and agreed to treaties such as the Rome Statute, they are legally obligated to prevent cruel acts against their own people.
On this matter, the Jerusalem Institute of Justice has already submitted several communications to the Office of the Prosecutor (OTP) of the International Criminal Court (ICC) regarding crimes against humanity committed by Palestinian leaders, such as murder, imprisonment and torture, respectively, against Palestinian civilians.
Crimes against humanity are serious violations of international law. It is time to take responsibility, we must not only point the finger at the culprits of these atrocities but also at the supporters and spectators who become accomplices. The real victims of this war are the Palestinian citizens who are cynically exploited as political pawns.
Humanitarian Crises - Happening Now
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8QXToXcq6As
Parts of the world are experiencing humanitarian crises, what can be done about it?
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When Children are Shields
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qPEXtdjadiI
More than 357 Million children live in conflict zones today. Tens of thousands are used as child soldiers. They become fighters, suicide bombers, human shields, messengers, spies and are used for sex. What are you doing about it? Be a voice for the voiceless! Share this video!
Chronicle of a Predetermined Decision
The decision of the Chief Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court in The Hague to launch a “comprehensive criminal investigation” of “alleged war crimes” committed in what has been named the "situation in Palestine" is dramatic but not surprising. The writing was on the wall, written in large Gothic font. The decision was made somewhere in 2015, when the Chief Prosecutor, Ms. Fatou Bensouda, accepted Palestine's request to join as a member state of the court.
The motives for Bensouda’s decision were probably political and as a result, answers from the political field are now needed. Let us not be mistaken, Israel has a long list of weighty legal arguments in her defense, but unfortunately, these will not rescue her from the current situation. Any attempt to fend off political interests with legal arguments, however strong, is doomed to fail.
At this time, it is essential for Israel to have political backing from the US and to encourage the positive winds blowing from England, as this is an hour for politics and diplomacy.
This kind of pressure was recently exerted with great success by the United States, where a series of resolute statements and decisions from the former National Security Adviser John Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo were able to thwart the ICC’s intention to investigate war crimes that US forces allegedly committed on Afghanistan's soil. Incidentally, the ICC's decision to reject the motion to investigate the alleged war crimes came immediately after the denial of entry into the United States of the Chief Prosecutor and an explicit threat to use the American Service-Members' Protection Act, better known as the "The Hague Invasion Law," which gives the president a free hand to take all necessary measures in order to release American soldiers, if the ICC decides to order their imprisonment. In addition, the law prohibits any cooperation or transfer of evidentiary materials to the ICC.
The broad American defense umbrella was kindly offered to Israel as well. The sand in Israel’s hourglass started draining on Friday and will last for several months. Within this time, the Chief Prosecutor, Ms. Fatou Bensouda, will receive the opinion of the pre-trial court regarding its legal position on the issue of the court's jurisdiction to investigate the “situation in Palestine”. The court's legal position does not oblige by law, but it can outline the limits and scope of the investigation, since these arise from a determination regarding the territory in which the court may exercise its authority.
The Jerusalem Institute of Justice, a legal research institute operating in the international legal arena, has recognized and anticipated the decision of the ICC and has worked hard to ensure that the ICC investigates the real criminals who are directly responsible for committing war crimes in our region, the Hamas terrorist organization. Our efforts have borne fruit. The ICC accepted the legal and evidentiary infrastructure we presented to it and stated that it intends to investigate, inter alia, the criminal use of the Palestinian civilian population as human shields, as well as victims of murder and torture.
It is important to clarify that the ICC in its decision to investigate Israel, clearly deviates from its given mandate. This mandate does not involve the criminal investigation of leaders from countries with a self-reliant, independent, and reliable judicial mechanism. Past experience shows that Israel and specifically the IDF are able to conduct self-examination and critique of their actions. Wherever Israel recognizes a potential deviation from the morality and values that characterize the IDF in its activity (in the myriad of complex challenges that it faces), it is still able to ask and answer tough questions when needed.
Adv Uri Morad,
Director of the of International Law & Public Diplomacy Department
Indoctrination – Lasting Effects on Children and Conflicts
Indoctrination as a concept can be divisive and problematic. To an extent it can be positive, as this allows for the creation of communities that share the same values, giving stability to the people of those groups. However, it can also be dangerous
To differentiate between the positive and negative sides of indoctrination, Tom Nachtigal’s definition[1] will be used. As such, in this context, indoctrination will be defined as “teaching with the intention of instilling certain beliefs and propositions among pupils, by disregarding evidence, reasoning, and logic in the teaching process”. More specifically, this article will focus on systematic indoctrination into hatred and violence and its lasting consequences.
As referred above, vulnerable groups such as children (which according to the Rome Statute are persons below 15 years old) are more sensitive to these influences, as their associated naivety makes them more likely to process information without questioning it.
The resulting consequence of indoctrination can be catastrophic. Children of all ages can suffer unimaginable amounts of pain simply by trusting the teachings of a wrong adult. And from all the possible horrors they could face, it is in becoming a soldier that this article will focus on. Throughout conflict areas in the world, from Colombia to the Philippines, children have been sought and used as tools for war.[2]
Such was the case with the Lord’s Resistance Army (LRA), the ultra-nationalist heterodox group that terrorized Uganda from the 1980’s. Currently dispersed between the borders of the DRC, Central African Republic and South Sudan, this group is known for abducting the majority of their top leaders while they were kids.
After weaponizing these children, they were then used to cause mayhem, killing and abducting tens of thousands of other children along the way. By continuing this practice, conflict ensued, displacing almost 500,000 people in the Ugandan plains during the group’s active years[3]. Even though they are largely inactive in currently, the story of the rebel militia is still being mirrored throughout our world. And the effect of such practices is felt to this day.
As reported by the Washington Post[4], abducted children that manage to defect from the LRA face an arduous uphill battle for reintegration. After serving under uneducated authoritarian superiors, who mercilessly kill any caught defector by way of a firing squad, the surviving children face the mental adjustment to day-to-day life. This is compounded by the added paranoia-like pressure of seeing comrades get promoted through informing on each other, and “commanders” being punished for doing acts of kindness. This results in severe mental health issues that surface many months after their release. PTSD is common and in extreme cases, suicide is an escape from the horrors faced during their time as conscripted soldiers.
This fear-based indoctrination of children by the LRA finds its direct counterpart in Hamas’s indoctrination. The terrorist organization has a reported use of 17,000 children, directly or indirectly, throughout the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. Rather than abducting, Hamas ensures that from an early age the children of the Gaza Strip are slowly pushed to dehumanize and stigmatize the Israeli citizen.
In kindergarten, through their considerable influence in the region, Hamas uses the public Al-Aqsa channel to broadcast anti-Semitic shows that promote a jihadist mindset and violence against the Israeli forces.[5]
This is then furthered by the dubious curriculum employed in the Gaza Strip (and in many cases, the remaining Palestinian territories).[6] There are reported uses of clear ennoblement of martyrdom, in particular against the Israeli enemy, and incitement to violence.[7]
Despite all this, Hamas further organizes summer camps each year whereby teenagers reportedly use and practice gunplay and military-like exercises. [8]In addition, preachers (religious authorities of the region) stimulate the aforementioned feelings towards martyrdom and against Israel.[9]
It is through this systematic, determined effort that the infamous terrorist group ensures the continuation of their own war efforts. Children can be used to bolster their army and kill if needed[10]. If successful in a military endeavour, these kids are then encouraged and hailed as heroes, further cementing in their minds that their behaviour was/is correct[11]. Even when building dangerous tunnels to cross the border of Gaza with Israel, children are used as builders.[12]
Whilst these practices were several times noted during Haniyeh’s tenure as de facto and de jure leader of the group, there is no sign that ensures they have all summarily stopped and been reversed under Sinwar’s rule. As explained above, the scars left on rescued child soldiers can remain for a long time after they leave their military service. More so, they are ruthlessly effective in promoting warmongering and belligerence. Thus, they make sure that the next generation will perpetuate conflict and that a polarizing mentality is the norm in an already precarious society.
As a matter of fact, the tendency is that the militarization of children will be increased. From 2013 onwards, Hamas has purportedly included military training in the Gazan high school curricula[13]. Moreover, the increasingly hostile summer camps – such as the “Pioneers of Liberation”[14] camps – ensure that this military education is year-round, as is the spread of violence towards their “Zionist Enemy”. In fact, Abu Muhammad, responsible for the recruitment unit of the camps was recorded stating that the goal of the camps was to provide educational and military activities to train the coming generations to fight the [Israeli] “occupation”[15]. He then continued, stating the generation in front of him was “determined to put an end to the Israeli entity”.[16]
A very important question is then to be asked – what can we do? Any individual effort is unlikely to succeed in the face of such atrocities. As such, it is highly recommended that we take a look at successful preventive programs[17] and reintegration programs[18]. Only through this can the Children of today, not become the Soldiers of tomorrow.
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[1] Nachtigal, T. (2019). Responsible Education: Responsibility under International Law for Indoctrination to Hatred and Violence in Education Systems. Columbia Journal of Transnational Law. [online] Available at: //jtl.columbia.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/4/2019/09/Nachtigal_CJTL-57-600.pdf (Accessed 23 Sep. 2019].
[2] Information retrieved from //childsoldiersworldindex.org/hostilities (Accessed 21 Sep. 2019)
[3] Retrieved from //childrenandarmedconflict.un.org/the-lords-resistance-army-and-children/ (Accessed 21 Sep. 2019)
[4] Retrieved from //www.washingtonpost.com/world/africa/kidnapped-as-children-they-escaped-from-konys-lra-to-be-reunited-with-their-families-in-uganda/2018/08/10/625e5b12-8f67-11e8-ae59-01880eac5f1d_story.html (Accessed 21 Sep. 2019)
[5] Israeli Intelligence Heritage and Commemoration Center, Educating for Hatred and Violence Against Israel in a Performance Held in a Kindergarten Sponsored by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad, (December 31, 2017); available at //www.terrorism-info.org.il/en/educating-for-hatred-and-violence-against-israel-in-aperformance-held-in-a-kindergarten-sponsored-by-the-palestinian-islamic-jihad-pij/ (Accessed 22 Sep. 2019)
[6] Groiss, A. and Shaked, R. (2017). Schoolbooks of the Palestinian Authority (PA): The Attitude to the Jews, to Israel and to Peace. [online] Center for Near East Policy Research Available at: //israelbehindthenews.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/09/Schoolbooks-PalestinianAuthority2017.pdf [Accessed 23 Sep. 19].
[7] P. 62 ff. (n6)
[8] ITV News, Inside the Hamas Summer Training Camp for Gaza Teens, (added on July 27, 2016); video available at: //www.youtube.com/watch?v=cD2FezhJgqA ; 4 Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Center, Incitement to Terrorism and Hatred, (June 8, 2017); //www.terrorism-info.org.il/en/21218/
[9] Hamas’s new way of poisoning the minds of Palestinian Children, Gatestone Institute, 1 April 2016. //www.gatestoneinstitute.org/7804/palestinian-children-torture (Accessed 23 Sep. 19)
[10] Riley Clafton, At Summer Camp, Hamas Raises the Next Generation of Killers, The Tower (August 2016); available at: //www.thetower.org/article/at-summer-camp-hamas-raises-the-next-generation-of-killers/ (Accessed 23 Sep. 19)
[11] IDF Website, The Status of Children in Gaza; //www.idf.il/en/minisites/facts-and-figures/hamas/thestatus-of-children-in-gaza/ (Accessed 23. Sep 19).
[12] Lea Spyer, How Child Labor in the Terror Tunnels is Killing Palestinian Children, (July 27, 2014); available at: //www.breakingisraelnews.com/18992/child-labor-terror-tunnels-killing-palestinian-children/; Myer Freimann, Hamas Killed 160 Palestinian Children to Build Tunnels, (July 25, 2014); available at: //www.tabletmag.com/scroll/180400/hamas-killed-160-palestinian-children-to-build-terror-tunnels
[13] Retrieved from //www.terrorism-info.org.il/en/20511/
[14] Summer Camps in the Gaza Strip: A tool for indoctrinating the younger generation with radical ideologies and training them to become future operatives in the terrorist organizations, especially Hamas and the Palestinian Islamic Jihad. (14 July 2019). The Meir Amit Intelligence and Terrorism Information Centre. Available at: //www.terrorism-info.org.il/app/uploads/2019/07/E_156_19.pdf [Accessed 26 Sep. 2019].
[15] Page 8 (n15)
[16] Ibid.
[17] As the “Roméo Dallaire Child Soldiers Initiative” (//www.childsoldiers.org)
[18] As “The Save Children Fund” (//www.savethechildren.net)
Everyone Loses in War
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xBlxdFsWgpo
"All that we strive for as a human family, dignity and hope, progress and prosperity, depends on peace. But peace depends on us."
Secretary General of the UN, Antonio Guterres. Be a voice for the voiceless! Share this video!