Advocacy
Promoting Human Rights for Palestinian Children Living Under Israeli Military Occupation Act
H.R. 2407
FACT SHEET
• Every year, between 500 and 700 Palestinian youth living under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank are arrested, interrogated, physically and psychologically abused, frequently forced to sign confessions, and imprisoned under Israel’s system of juvenile military detention in violation of international humanitarian law.
• Israel regularly detains Palestinian children under that age of 12 years old, some as young as 9 and 10 years of age, even though it is prohibited under Israeli military law.
• Since 2000, more than 10,000 Palestinian children have been detained by Israeli security forces.
• The brutality and trauma inflicted on Palestinian children by Israel’s occupation and system of military detention in the West Bank has been extensively documented by credible international human rights monitors, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Israel’s B’Tselem, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Defense of Children/Palestine, and the U.S. Department of State.
• The annual $3.8 billion in U.S. foreign military assistance to the Government of Israel supports the ill-treatment and human rights abuses inflicted on Palestinian children by Israel’s occupation and system of military detention.
• Purpose of H.R. 2407: To promote and protect the human rights of Palestinian children living under Israeli military occupation.
• H.R. 2407 amends a provision of the Foreign Assistance Act known as the “Leahy Law” (22 U.S.C. 2378d) to prohibit U.S. funding for child military detention in any country, including Israel.
• H.R. 2407 establishes the “Human Rights Monitoring and Treatment of Palestinian Child Victims of Military Detention Fund” and authorizes $19 million annually to fund NGO human rights monitoring of Israel’s system of military detention of Palestinian children and physical, psychological, and emotional health treatment and support for Palestinian child victims of Israeli military detention, abuse, and torture.
• Statement of Policy of the United States that:
H.R. 2407
FACT SHEET
• Every year, between 500 and 700 Palestinian youth living under Israeli military occupation in the West Bank are arrested, interrogated, physically and psychologically abused, frequently forced to sign confessions, and imprisoned under Israel’s system of juvenile military detention in violation of international humanitarian law.
• Israel regularly detains Palestinian children under that age of 12 years old, some as young as 9 and 10 years of age, even though it is prohibited under Israeli military law.
• Since 2000, more than 10,000 Palestinian children have been detained by Israeli security forces.
• The brutality and trauma inflicted on Palestinian children by Israel’s occupation and system of military detention in the West Bank has been extensively documented by credible international human rights monitors, including Human Rights Watch, Amnesty International, Israel’s B’Tselem, United Nations Children’s Fund (UNICEF), Defense of Children/Palestine, and the U.S. Department of State.
• The annual $3.8 billion in U.S. foreign military assistance to the Government of Israel supports the ill-treatment and human rights abuses inflicted on Palestinian children by Israel’s occupation and system of military detention.
• Purpose of H.R. 2407: To promote and protect the human rights of Palestinian children living under Israeli military occupation.
• H.R. 2407 amends a provision of the Foreign Assistance Act known as the “Leahy Law” (22 U.S.C. 2378d) to prohibit U.S. funding for child military detention in any country, including Israel.
• H.R. 2407 establishes the “Human Rights Monitoring and Treatment of Palestinian Child Victims of Military Detention Fund” and authorizes $19 million annually to fund NGO human rights monitoring of Israel’s system of military detention of Palestinian children and physical, psychological, and emotional health treatment and support for Palestinian child victims of Israeli military detention, abuse, and torture.
• Statement of Policy of the United States that:
- Israel’s system of military detention of Palestinian children results in widespread and systematic human rights abuses amount to gross violations of human rights inconsistent with international humanitarian law and the laws and values of the U.S.
- Is contrary to the values of the American people and undermines U.S. efforts to support equality, human rights, and dignity for Palestinians and Israelis, as well as efforts to achieve a just and lasting peace between Israelis and Palestinians.
