[hanomantoto]

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta – Israel’s parliament (Knesset) on Thursday, November 7, 2024, passed a law authorizing the detention of Palestinian children under the age of 14.

The bill was approved in the second and third readings with 55-33 votes, making it an effective law, said the Knesset in a statement.

The regulation will allow Israeli courts to order the detention of Palestinian children under 14 years old in closed facilities if convicted of murder involving “terrorism or terrorist activities.”

The children will continue to serve their sentence in prison upon reaching 14 years old.

The measure could be extended for up to two years with the approval of the Israeli Minister of Justice and Welfare and the Knesset Constitutional Committee.

The legislation, a temporary five-year measure, also includes a three-year provision that allows Israeli courts to jail Palestinian children in prison instead of juvenile facilities for up to 10 days if they are deemed dangerous or pose a threat to others.

Israeli courts can also extend this period if conditions call for it, said the Knesset.

More than 270 Palestinian children are currently detained in Israel, despite UN resolutions and international agreements banning the imprisonment of children, according to Palestinian human rights groups.

On Thursday morning, the Knesset also passed a controversial law allowing the deportation of family members of Palestinian residents involved in attacks on Israeli citizens.

The parents, siblings, or spouses of a so-called “terrorist” can be sent away from Israel in case they are deemed to have “expressed support or identification” or have failed to report information about “an act of terrorism or a terrorist organization.”

The law would also apply to residents of occupied East Jerusalem, but it was still unclear if it would apply in the occupied West Bank. Israeli citizens could be deported as well but would retain their citizenship even after being expelled from the country.

The law does not specify where the family or relatives will be deported, but Israeli media have mentioned the Gaza Strip as one of the destinations for between 7-15 years for citizens and 10-20 years for legal residents.

These measures come as tensions continue to escalate across the Palestinian territories due to Israel’s brutal offensive in the Gaza Strip, which has killed nearly 43,400 people, mostly women and children, since Hamas’ attacks last year.

Israel faces genocide charges at the International Court for its actions in the besieged enclave.

ANADOLU | AL JAZEERA

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