Israeli forces killed at least 66 children in Gaza during its latest offensive. They join the more than 3,000 Palestinian children who were killed by Israeli forces over the past 20 years, according to the Palestinian Authority's Ministry of Information.
As the Israeli occupation of Palestinian territories continues, so does violence against Palestinians, and the children are not spared.
In the past two decades, Palestinian children have endured seven deadly offensives on the Gaza Strip, checkpoints, military raids, and expulsions from their land and homes throughout the occupied territories.
A culture of impunity surrounds the Israeli army’s actions, including the intentional use of lethal weapons when there is no threat, even against children.
Israeli rights group Yesh Din says the chances that a complaint leads to an indictment of an Israeli soldier for violence, including killing, is 0.7 percent.
Here are some of their names:
Date: May 12, 2021
What he was doing: Protesting an Israeli raid on his city.
How he was killed: Abu Arreh was was shot twice in the neck and chest by Israeli soldiers during a raid in Tubas.
Date: May 6, 2021
What he was doing: Was present near the entrance to his village during an Israeli raid.
How he was killed: Israeli forces situated in an olive grove at the entrance to the village shot Said twice in the back.
Date: January 29, 2021
What he was doing: En route to Nablus.
How he was killed: Atallah was shot by Israeli soldiers at the Hares settlement junction after he allegedly tried to stab them. Atallah’s family said he was on his way to his father’s workshop in Nablus after he was done with exams at school earlier in the day.
Date: December 22, 2020
What he was doing: Allgedly opened fire on Israeli forces.
How he was killed: Mahmoud was shot by Israeli forces after he allegedly fired at Israeli border police in the Old City in occupied East Jerusalem.
Date: December 4, 2020
What he was doing: Observing a protest.
How he was killed: Ali was shot in his stomach on his birthday during a weekly protest in his village against the Israeli occupation.
Date: October 24, 2020
What he was doing: Helping fix a car at night.
How he was killed: Amer was put in a chokehold by Israeli soldiers then beaten. He had been helping a friend move his broken-down car at night. His friend managed to escape but saw Amer die. Doctors said Amer died of asphyxiation.
Date: August 20, 2020
What he was doing: Walking on a road.
How he was killed: Mohammad and two other teens were on a road used by Israeli settlers near the occupied West Bank village of Deir Abu Meshal. Israeli soldiers hiding nearby shot at them. The other two managed to escape, and Israeli forces are still withholding Mohammad’s body.
Date: May 15, 2020
What he was doing: Watching an Israeli raid on refugee camp.
How he was killed: Zaid was shot in the head in the morning by Israeli forces who had raided al-Fawwar refugee camp. He was standing on a rooftop, watching.
Date: March 11, 2020
What he was doing: Protesting an Israeli raid on his village.
How he was killed: Mohammad was shot in the head by Israeli forces conducting a raid on his village early morning. The military action lasted for nearly two hours.
Date: February 5, 2020
What he was doing: Protesting.
How he was killed: Mohammad was shot repeatedly by Israeli forces during a protest in the occupied West Bank city Hebron in the Bab al-Zawya area. According to DCIP, an Israeli soldier on a rooftop fired several shots at Mohammad from about 40 metres away.
Date: January 21, 2020
What they were doing: Hanging out near the Israeli separation wall.
How they were killed: The three teens were killed by Israeli fire, and their bodies remain in the Israeli army's custody until this day. The Israeli forces at the time said they had cordoned off the area after spotting “three suspects” and opened fire after the teens “threw a grenade” at them. A police source in Gaza told Reuters news agency the teens were civilians without any affiliations to armed groups.
Date: March 30, 2019
What he was doing: Protesting.
How he was killed: Bilal was shot in the stomach by Israeli forces during a Great March of Return protest east of Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip. He underwent a four-hour surgery at the Gaza International Hospital but did not survive.
Date: March 30, 2019
What he was doing: Protesting.
How he was killed: Adham was shot in the head by Israeli soldiers during a Great March of Return protest east of Gaza City. Defense for Children International-Palestine said Adham was likely struck with an exploding bullet, as medical sources said the lower half of Adham’s face had been shattered.
Date: March 26, 2019
What he was doing: Volunteering with medics.
How he was killed: Sajed was a medic volunteer. He was shot in the stomach by Israeli forces - despite wearing his clearly marked vest - when they raided the Dheisheh refugee camp in the occupied West Bank city of Bethlehem.
Date: March 6, 2019
What he was doing: Participating in 'night confusion' activities - like setting off fireworks and blasting music - near the Israeli separation wall.
How he was killed: Witnesses say at around 9:30pm, Israeli forces, wearing with night vision goggles, shot Saif al-Deen in the forehead as he stood 200 metres away from the fence.
Date: February 22, 2019
What he was doing: Protesting.
How he was killed: Yousef was shot dead by Israeli forces during a Great March of Return protest in the Gaza Strip. He was near the perimeter fence east of the Zeitoun area. Medical sources say the bullet travelled near his heart and exited out of his back.
Date: February 8, 2019
What he was doing: Protesting.
How he was killed: Israeli forces shot Hassan in the chest while he was participating in the “Great March of Return” protests east of Khuza’a, near Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip.
Date: January 14, 2019
What he was doing: Protesting.
How he was killed: Abdel-Raouf (from the Jabalia refugee camp) was shot in the head by Israeli forces by a tear gas canister while participating in the weekly Great March of Return protest on January 11, 2019, in northern Gaza Strip, southeast of Beit Hanoun. He sustained brain damage and died three days later in hospital.
And there are many, many more....
Produced by
Alia Chughtai and Linah Alsaafin
Illustrations
Marah Khamis
Assistant producer
Sarah Almajzoub
Motion graphics
Dheya Ghaleb