The Israeli Authorities released, Sunday, the youngest Palestinian detainee, Deema al-Wawi, only twelve years of age, after holding her captive, in direct violation of global, for more than two and a half months.
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Wawi’s case comes amid a spate of stabbings that have left 28 Israelis and over 200 Palestinians dead, many who were perpetrating the attacks, since October.
According to court documents provided by the military, al-Wawi approached the West Bank settlement of Carmei Tsur on February 9 with a knife hidden under a shirt.
Her mother, Umm Rashid, told +972, “I am happy that she was released but am furious about the situation”.
Her detention was caught on tape and broadcast by Israeli Channel 1, where the girl is recorded admitting her intention to carry out a stabbing attack. During the same time, Israeli forces killed 200 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 50 minors, according to DCI-P’s count in March.
Dima al-Wawi is believed to be the youngest female Palestinian ever imprisoned.
“Maybe she had a knife when they arrested her but she is just a child”, Umm Rashid continued.
Barghouth said that Wawi’s defence team had asked the military court for her early release and it agreed.
The two minors allegedly threw petrol bombs at a Palestinian home in Mazraa al-Qibliya village last November as family members slept, and in December threw a tear gas grenade at another Palestinian home overnight in the village of Beitillou. She was then sentenced to prison for the duration of four and a half months and was granted bail amounting to one thousand dollars.
Jewish child of the same age living on the same land and accused of the same crime would be subject to Israeli law, wherein the age of criminal culpability is 14; the Jewish child would not be sent to prison.
There are 7,000 Palestinians now in Israeli prisons, according to the Palestine Liberation Organisation’s Prisoners Affairs Commission. This is in breach of both Israeli and global law, which entitles children to extra protection.
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Mr Qaraqe said that Israel “practises the ugliest means of suppression and torture against Palestinian children”.
