Israeli Airstrikes in West Bank Claim Child Victims Amid Escalating Tactics

World

By Anthony W. Haddad

Published 10 months ago on

June 17, 2024

Israeli airstrikes in the West Bank, increasingly employing drones and other aerial assets, have raised concerns over civilian casualties, particularly children, amid accusations of violations of international legal standards. (AP/Jehad Alshrafi)

Israeli airstrikes targeting militants in the West Bank have resulted in the deaths of at least 24 children since last summer.
The escalation in the use of drones, planes, and helicopters marks a shift in Israeli military tactics in the occupied territory.
Critics argue that these airstrikes, which have killed civilians including children, may violate international law.

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At around 9:30 p.m. on a February evening, a white Mazda parked near a game café in the Jenin refugee camp on the northern edge of the West Bank, a gathering spot for local youth. Moments later, the car was engulfed in flames after two missiles fired from an Israeli drone struck it, as confirmed by a video released by the Israeli Air Force that night, The Intercept reported.

The target was Yasser Hanoun, described by the Israeli military as a “wanted terrorist.” However, 16-year-old Said Raed Said Jaradat, who was nearby, suffered fatal shrapnel wounds and died from his injuries early the next morning.

Israeli Airstrikes Hitting Civilians

Jaradat is among 24 children killed in Israeli airstrikes on the West Bank since last summer, marking a shift in Israeli military tactics as drones, planes, and helicopters are increasingly used for attacks in the occupied territory.

While global attention remains focused on Israeli operations in Gaza, which have drawn accusations of genocide, similar tactics have emerged in the West Bank. The Israel Defense Forces have defended these strikes as targeting terrorists, but nearly half of those killed were children.

An investigation documented at least 37 Israeli airstrikes, drone strikes, and helicopter attacks in the West Bank since June 2023, resulting in 55 Palestinian deaths, according to the United Nations.

Targets often included densely populated urban areas and refugee camps in Jenin, Tulkarem, and Nablus. Many of those killed were children, some involved in confrontations and others not. Ages ranged from 11 to 17, based on information from news outlets, the State of Palestine’s Negotiations Affairs Department, and the Israeli military, with additional data from Defense for Children International-Palestine.

These airstrikes are part of a broader Israeli strategy of targeted killings, which have raised concerns about compliance with international law. The escalation began in June 2023 and has since continued, despite criticisms of civilian casualties. The IDF has not responded to requests for comment on the findings.

As of now, airstrikes and ground incursions persist in the West Bank, prompting ongoing scrutiny over their human rights implications and legal justification.

Read more at The Intercept.