Child suicide bombers in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict: Encyclopedia II - Child suicide bombers in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - Incidents in 2004

Child suicide bombers in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict - Incidents in 2004

On March 24, 2004, one week after capturing a bomb in the bag of 12-year-old Abdullah Quran[14] [15], 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 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. [16][17]. These incidents were both widely condemned in the Palestinian press, and in the Arab world in general.

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 (PA) 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. [18]

Human rights organizations, such as Amnesty International, strongly condemned the act of using children to commit attacks.

Despite the harsh condemnation and internal controversy, Palestinian militant groups such as Al-Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades and Islamic Jihad, have recently used children as militants and suicide bombers. On March 31, 2004, Raed Khuweir blamed Palestinian Islamic Jihad for attempting to recruit his younger brother, aged 15, to commit a suicide attack. He said:

Khuweir claimed that his younger brother was "brainwashed" by an Islamic Jihad cleric and "call[ed] on the Palestinian Authority to investigate this affair and on Islamic Jihad to reveal who these people are that deceive children, so that [it would be known] they really belong to the group" [20]. 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 Shin Bet report on Awartani to be Hussam Abdo [21].

On June 16, 2004, two girls - aged 14 and 15 were arrested by the IDF for plotting a suicide bombing. [22] According to an IDF statement, the two minors were recruited by activists from Tanzim (Fatah's armed wing), guided by Hizbullah. [23] 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. [24] On June 5, IDF forces detonated two explosive belts concealed in schoolbags. [25][26] On July 14 the Shin Bet arrested in Kfar Maskha a suicide bomber. The bomber was identified as 17-year-old Ahmed Bushkar from Nablus. [27]

On August 7, 2004, a 15 year-old Palestinian was killed while trying to launch an anti-tank missile into Rafiah Yam settlement in the Gaza Strip. The Israeli Defence Forces returned fire and hit the missile, and he was apparently was killed by the explosion. 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. An IED explosive charge was found nearby. [28]

On September 23, 2004, a day before Yom Kippur, the Shin Bet and the Israeli police 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 terrorist cell of Tanzim and 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. [29] [30]

According to a Shabak report published on September 26, 2004 about 292 Palestinian minors have been involved in terrorism. [31],(DOC, Hebrew)

As of the fourth quarter of 2004, Nablus still continued to be a center for the recruitment of child suicide bombers:

On September 27, 2004, a 15-year-old suspected suicide bomber was arrested in Nablus. [32]. On October 28, Ayub Maaruf, a 16-years old Fatah suicide bomber, was arrested near Nablus along with his operator. [33]

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:

On November 4, a 15-year-old suicide bomber was arrested in Nablus. [35]

Adapted from the Wikipedia article "Incidents in 2004", under the G.N U Free Docmentation License. Please also see http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki