6sraeli army sexually abuses children

Israeli soldiers have been accused of sexually and physically abusing Palestinian children detained by the military, a report says.

Five Palestinian children detained over minor offences, including hurling stones, and held in detention illegally, were sexually abused by Israeli soldiers, Ynet wrote citing a CNN report broadcast on Thursday.

The report also charges that the Israeli soldiers have tortured some of the boys in detention. Palestinian children are being abused in Israeli detention centers, it said.

The investigative report also featured a Palestinian boy claiming that Israeli forces attempted to molest him using an object upon his arrest.

The youngster, whose identity was not disclosed, said a dozen officers were standing around and laughing while he was being interrogated, stopping only when their commander stepped into the room.

The army said, “Any claim regarding improper conduct by soldiers or police officers will be thoroughly examined by the relevant officials."

Meanwhile, member of the Knesset (Israeli parliament) Afu Agbaria, has condemned as "unethical and inhumane" the methods used by Israeli soldiers to investigate Palestinians, particularly children, China Daily reported.

"Israel's own statistics confirm that 14% of detained Palestinian children were subjected to sexual abuse threats by Israeli soldiers," Agbaria said.

He was referring to a report by the Palestinian Prisoners' Ministry which revealed that 65% of detainees, most of them children, face brutal torture and ill-treatment during their detention and interrogation.

Agbaria also noted that 100 complaints have been presented by human rights organizations to Defense for Children International (DCI) against the ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees, especially children.

The organizations demanded that detainees aged 16 and 17 should be dealt with as minors, in accordance with Israeli law, and an end to prison sentences for those under 14 years old, he said.

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