Quds – SABA
The Quds Governorate strongly condemned the Israeli court’s sentencing of 15-year-old Palestinian child Abdullah Abu Diab to four years in prison, following over 14 months of detention since his arrest on May 6, 2024.
In a statement, the governorate described the ruling as a “legal and moral crime” that adds to the growing list of human rights violations committed against children in occupied Jerusalem. It stressed that Israel’s targeting of minors is no longer sporadic but part of a systematic policy aimed at dismantling the social fabric of the Palestinian community and forcing the displacement of its youth.
The statement, citing the Palestinian Safa News Agency, pointed out that since October 7, 2023, 91 Palestinians have been killed in Jerusalem, nearly half of them under the age of 17. This, it said, demonstrates a deliberate campaign by Israeli forces to target Palestinian children, in blatant violation of international law.
The governorate also highlighted the use of house arrest as a punitive tool, stating that 161 such orders have been issued against minors during the same period. These measures have effectively turned family homes into mini-prisons, depriving children of education, play, and freedom of movement. In some cases, parents are forced to stay home full-time to supervise their children, which the statement described as a coercive and inhumane policy.
According to the governorate, 2,464 Palestinians have been arrested in Jerusalem since the escalation began in October 2023, including many minors. It emphasized that this violates both international law and even Israel’s own legislation, which prohibits imprisonment of children under 14. Despite this, the statement said, minors continue to face arbitrary and unfair trials in what it called sham courts lacking basic standards of justice.
The governorate affirmed it is closely monitoring these violations through legal and human rights channels and categorically rejects all forms of detention and repression targeting Palestinian children. It classified these actions as potential war crimes and crimes against humanity.
The statement called on international human rights bodies, especially the UN and UNICEF, to take immediate and serious action to protect children in Jerusalem and hold Israeli authorities accountable. It warned that continued international silence serves as a dangerous green light for further escalation.