Palestinian children play dead [apaimages]

Israeli occupation forces have killed 16 Palestinian children in the besieged Gaza Strip during the first half of 2019, Al-Mezan Centre for Human Rights revealed on Tuesday. A report from Al-Mezan said that Israeli occupation forces also shot and wounded 1,233 children, most of them while the youngsters were participating in the peaceful Great Return March protests in the east of the coastal enclave.

Furthermore, over the past six months, the Israelis detained 17 Palestinian children, although the majority of them were later released. At least 17 attacks on Palestinian schools and health facilities across the Gaza Strip by Israeli occupation forces were also documented.

READ: 3 children a month in Gaza left disabled for life

The Gaza-based human rights group noted that the Israeli occupation forces continue to carry out systematic violations against Palestinians, especially children, breaching international laws and conventions covering children’s rights.

The group’s report pointed out that the targeting and killing of Palestinian children by Israelis has escalated during the first half of this year compared with the same period in 2018.