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The Cairo Agreement was signed in May 1994 and clearly stipulated that all Palestinians held in Israeli prisons were to be released unconditionally, regardless of their political viewpoints. But only some 2,000 were released after signing a statement supporting the peace process. A number of these were not allowed to return home, but have to serve out their sentence in Jericho or Gaza. Over 6,000 Palestinians remain in Israeli prisons under inhumane conditions. Some are seriously ill but do not receive medical treatment. In June of this year, the prisoners held a hunger strike to draw attention to their cause and to protest for their release. None has so far been released as a result, although some negotiations have been held on releasing 1,500 to 2,000 of those still remaining.
Although the Educational Network strongly supports the release of all prisoners, it is particularly concerned about the approximately 300 schoolchildren held in Israeli prisons. Defense for Children International, one of the organizations concerned with child prisoners, says that there are approximately 170 children under the age of 16, and approximately 120 between the ages of 16 and 18. The youngest of these children were arrested when they were 13. (One year old Hanin, who was born in prison, recently left her mother in prison to be handed over to relatives in Khan Yunis). Most of the children are held in Ad-Damoun (inside the Green Line), Al-Fara'a (Nablus), and Hebron prisons. The only two girls imprisoned are in Telmond. Most of the children held are serving sentences ranging from four months to two and a half years, and have been accused of alleged 'intifada activities' such as stone-throwing and graffiti writing. A few have been accused of stabbing soldiers or settlers, and have received sentences ranging from 10 years to life -- as in the case of one seventeen year old boy. Many of the children were tortured or beaten severely during their arrest and subsequent interrogation.
The children are held in substandard conditions. Cells are cramped and un-hygienic and lack the most basic facilities. Food is insufficient and often rank. When a prisoner is ill, he will often be deprived of the most basic medical care so that the illness will lead to additional complications. Visitors, who can only see and talk to the child through double mesh wire, are limited to two persons every two weeks. Coupled with these violations of human rights, the children are also deprived of their basic right to education. Israeli children held in prison are given full opportunity to continue their schooling, but their counterparts in Palestinians-only prisons and even those Palestinian children held in the same prison as the Israelis do not receive any education. Many are arrested in their final year of study, having entered the first stage of tawjihi or beyond. There are no books in prison except for the rare ones brought for adult prisoners which are unsuitable for the children.
DCI's Legal Aid department works actively through the courts, defending imprisoned Palestinian children and fighting for their release. Muhammad Abu Harthieh, its director, informed us of the efforts being made by DCI to alleviate the children's plight: firstly, the unconditional release of all Palestinian children held in Israeli prisons so that they can return to their families and their schools; secondly, to provide education to all children held in prison, particularly to allow them to take their tawjihi exams; and finally, to be allowed to send books to Palestinian children held in prison. DCI is also urging the Palestinian National Authority and its Ministry of Education to do all it can towards achieving the release of those children in order that they may be allowed the freedom to realize their educational potential.
If you would like to help in their struggle, you could do one of the following:
Firstly, write a letter to the Israeli Minister of Police (Moshe Shahal, Minister of Police, Hakiriya, Jerusalem) asking for the unconditional release of all Palestinian children held in Israeli prisons.
Secondly, write The Director, Prison Service, 5 Istradrot, Jerusalem, urging him to provide education to all Palestinian children held in Israeli prisons and to allow them to receive children's and school books. Remind him that Israel has signed the Child Convention, so that it is responsible for the Palestinian children in the territories it occupies and thus is under the obligation to fulfill each child's right to education. Furthermore, Israel signed the Convention of the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination. Its policy of providing education to Israeli child prisoners only palpably violates that Convention.
For more information, contact Muhammad Abu Harthieh, Legal Aid Project, DCI Palestine Section, PO Box 55201, Jerusalem, telefax 00 9722 6562964.
Elaine Clark
Educational Network, POB 66, Ramallah, West Bank
tel: 02 995 6230/fax: 02 995 6231 e-mail: eclark@ednet.birzeit.edu