The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) tweeted on August 5 that a couple of Palestinians were detained on August 5 for using a child’s backpack to hold firearms.
The IDF noted in the tweet, “Our soldiers noticed them acting suspiciously near an Israeli community, found the weapons, and arrested them. A child’s backpack should hold books, not weapons.” They did not specify which Israeli community it was or any further info on the arrested Palestinians.
Today, we found this child’s backpack used by 2 Palestinians to hide guns & ammunition. Our soldiers noticed them acting suspiciously near an Israeli community, found the weapons, and arrested them.
A child's backpack should hold books, not weapons. pic.twitter.com/EdXRrfKKLL
— Israel Defense Forces (@IDF) August 5, 2019
According to Jewish Virtual Library, Palestinian children as young as 13 years old “are often involved in violent crimes and are recruited to engage in terrorism by their elders”; most of the time these crimes involve “stone throwing” but there are also various instances of Palestinian teens stabbing Israelis and Palestinian suicide bombers being younger than 12 years old.
Additionally, according to Human Rights Watch, “Islamic Jihad has been linked to at least three suicide bombings by children, including attacks by 17-year-old Safwat Abdel Rahman in Tel-Aviv in January 2002, 17-year-old Hamza Aref Samudi near Mejiddo junction in June 2002; and 17-year-old Iyad al-Masri in January 2004. Hamas has also been implicated in attacks carried out by children. In August 2003, 17-year-old Khamis Gerwan carried out a suicide bombing near Ariel, an illegal West Bank settlement.”
