The Israeli army has killed 25 Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank and the blockaded Gaza Strip since the beginning of 2018 a rights NGO said Monday.
In a press release Defense for Children International-Palestine which advocates for the rights of Palestinian children in the Israeli-occupied Palestinian territories held the Israeli army responsible for the death of 25 children — 21 in the Gaza Strip — this year alone.
Eighteen children were killed while participating in the Great Return March protests launched since March 30 at the Gaza border the press release said.
It went on to assert that Israeli forces had deliberately killed minors with the use of live ammunition.
According to the NGO this death toll includes 21 children targeted directly 11 of whom were shot in the head or neck.
“The Israeli army continues its escalations using lethal force and live bullets against Palestinian children who pose no direct threat to it” the NGO’s statement read.
The statement concluded by calling for the arrest of the Israeli soldiers responsible for killing or maiming Palestinian children in clear violation of international law.
