Israeli troopers, interrogators torture Palestinian minor

Israeli forces have "tortured and humiliated" a Palestinian child during his arrest and detention in Israel's Ofer prison, according to lawyer from the Palestinian Committee of Prisoners' Affairs Luay Akka.

14-year-old Suleiman Salem al-Dibs was detained from his home in Aida refugee camp in the southern occupied West Bank city of Beit Lahm ('Bethlehem') on Sep. 18, Ma’an quoted an Akka statement as saying.

Israeli forces stormed the boy's home at 3 a.m., damaging the family's property. Soldier took Suleiman outside of the house, slammed him against a wall and assaulted him, and put him in tight handcuffs, Akka said.

According to the report, Israeli interrogators continued to beat the boy, shouting at him and threatening to arrest his father and mother.

Suleiman told Akka that he suffered wounds in his face and mouth and was not provided treatment despite his severe pain.

The report came after the Lajee Center, a community organization in Aida refugee camp, said on Sep. 26 that Israeli forces detained three children from the camp: 15-year-old Omar Radi, Mustafa Hammad, and Mohammed Awis.

Meanwhile, the same day Suleiman was detained, an Israeli military court filed charges against three Palestinian minors from Aida a month after they were detained for allegedly throwing Molotov cocktails and stones at Israeli forces stationed at Rachel's Tomb, which is located next to an Israeli military base at the edge of Aida refugee camp in the southern occupied West Bank district of Bethlehem.

There is a 99.74 percent conviction rate for Palestinians tried in Israeli military courts, according to Human Rights Watch.

Human rights groups have also widely documented the abuse of Palestinian children by Israeli forces and the harsh interrogation practices used to force their confessions, which has long been the target of criticism by the international community.

Defense for Children International - Palestine has said their research showed that almost two-thirds of Palestinian children detained in the occupied West Bank by Israeli forces had endured physical violence after their arrest.