WEB DESK: United Nations human rights experts have strongly condemned a newly amended Israeli law that allows courts to sentence children as young as 12 to life imprisonment, warning that it may violate international human rights standards, particularly the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child.
According to media reports, the UN experts expressed deep concern over two anti-terrorism laws recently enacted in Israel. One of these laws permits life sentences for children involved in acts of murder or attempted murder, provided the offense is classified as terrorism or committed in support of a terrorist organization’s goals.
The second law enables authorities to suspend welfare support for children accused of such crimes.In a statement posted on social media, the experts emphasized that these laws could be in direct violation of the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Israel ratified in October 1991.The Israeli Knesset passed the controversial amendment in November 2024, broadening the scope of punishment for minors. Under the revised law, a child aged 12 or older can be sentenced to life imprisonment if the crime is deemed an act of terrorism.
The UN experts also highlighted that Israeli military law in the occupied West Bank has long allowed the detention of Palestinian children as young as 12, making the newly enacted legislation even more troubling in its potential application to Palestinian minors.They described the move as a serious infringement on fundamental human rights and a direct threat to the protection of children, especially Palestinian children living under occupation. The experts called on Israel to uphold its international legal commitments and ensure the rights and welfare of all children within its jurisdiction
The Israeli Knesset passed the controversial amendment in November 2024, broadening the scope of punishment for minors. Under the revised law, a child aged 12 or older can be sentenced to life imprisonment if the crime is deemed an act of terrorism.
The UN experts also highlighted that Israeli military law in the occupied West Bank has long allowed the detention of Palestinian children as young as 12, making the newly enacted legislation even more troubling in its potential application to Palestinian minors.
They described the move as a serious infringement on fundamental human rights and a direct threat to the protection of children, especially Palestinian children living under occupation. The experts called on Israel to uphold its international legal commitments and ensure the rights and welfare of all children within its jurisdiction
