Another Teenager Hit by Israeli Sniper in Jenin – Palestine Condemns Killings of the Youth

Islamabad: 12 Dec 2022 – The State of Palestine has condemned in the strongest terms Israel’s ongoing crimes and deliberate killings of Palestinian children, including the latest killing of 15-year-old Jana Majdi Assaf by a sniper last night in Jenin while she was on the roof of her house.

Israeli occupation forces shot Jana in the head and the chest, killing her immediately.
Jana is the 53rd Palestinian child to be killed by Israel this year alone, marking it the deadliest year for the Palestinian people.

Jana is another victim of the failure of the international community to hold Israel accountable for its ongoing and escalating crimes. Israel’s targeting of Palestinian children in their homes, schools, and streets is systematic and widespread aimed at intimidating children and their families and causing trauma and insecurity to the entire Palestinian society.

The State of Palestine  reiterates that the list of shame remains the most powerful tool of accountability and an effective deterrent and guarantee of child protection.

Therefore,  we call on the United Nations Secretary-General to immediately list Israeli occupation forces, and its settler militias, on the list of shame and hold Israel fully accountable for its crimes against Palestinian children. Exempting Israel from facing consequences for its crimes undermines the protection of children worldwide.

We also call on the Prosecutor of the International Criminal Court to investigate, urgently and effectively, Israel’s killing of Jana and the many other Palestinian children who continue to be targeted by Israel’s illegal occupation. We also call on all relevant mandate holders, international officials and governments to openly reject and confront such crimes.

Palestinian children are entitled to their human rights, to protection, to health, to dignity, and to peace. They are not an exception to these global rules.