UN: Israeli Army Murdered 54 Palestinians, Including 12 Children This Year

The United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights (UNHCHR), Michelle Bachelet, said, Monday, that the Israeli army has killed 54 Palestinians since the beginning of the year.

"So far this year, 54 Palestinians, including 12 children, have been killed by Israeli forces in the West Bank," Bachelet said during the opening ceremony of the 48th session of (UNHCHR)  in Geneva, Switzerland.

The High Commissioner stressed that this number is twice as high as last year, adding that more than 1,000 people were injured by live ammunition.

She also expressed her deep concern about what she called the "repressive campaigns" launched by the government of the Palestinian Authority (PA) against the opposition in recent months.

"During the protests that followed the horrific murdering of activist Nizar Banat in June, Palestinian security forces used unprovoked force against peaceful protesters," she added.

Bachelet noted that the arrest of several activists in August indicates the fact that the repression is deepening in the Palestinian territories, and called on the authorities to ensure the safety of protesters and respect for basic human rights freedoms.

However, the recent Amnesty International Report on the state of human rights in 159 countries and territories in the world claims Israel is “killing” and “torturing” Palestinian children with impunity.

The report stressed that the Gilboa Prison fiasco necessitates an in-depth investigation

Israeli forces unlawfully killed Palestinian civilians, including children.

Torture and other ill-treatment of detainees, including children, remained pervasive and was committed with impunity,” it continues.

In its “Unlawful Killings” section, the document claims Israeli soldiers, police, and security guards killed at least 54  Palestinians, later noting that “some of those killed were shot while attacking Israelis or suspected of intending an attack.”

“Many, including children, were shot and unlawfully killed while posing no immediate threat to life,” the reports state.

The “Excessive Use of Force” section claims that Israeli forces killed at least 54 Palestinians and wounded thousands while being attacked during riots.