DayofPal– Israeli forces have detained nine Palestinian children in Al-Maskobiya interrogation center in occupied Jerusalem, a case that underscores the intensifying crackdown on Palestinian minors in the city.
The youngest among them, a 12-year-old, was recently released under house arrest. The children now face charges before the Jerusalem District Court, accused of allegedly hurling stones at an Israeli settler’s vehicle in the Issawiya neighborhood.
According to Mohammad Mahmoud, a lawyer affiliated with the Wadi Hilweh Information Center, the Israeli prosecution claims that on January 30, a settler mistakenly entered Issawiya, where he was purportedly met with a volley of stones thrown by nine Palestinian youths, aged 12 to 17.
Authorities subsequently apprehended the minors in a phased operation between February 27 and March 9. Defense attorneys argue that the children were subjected to physical abuse and prolonged interrogation during their detention.
The indictment levied against them includes charges of stone-throwing, offenses deemed as nationalistically motivated, and attempted assault under aggravated circumstances.
While the prosecution has yet to specify the sentences being sought, Mahmoud anticipates that the children will face actual imprisonment.
The broader case, dubbed the “Issawiya File,” implicates a total of 12 Palestinians, nine of whom are minors. A court session scheduled for April 8 has been postponed to allow further examination of the case.
Issawiya, a Palestinian neighborhood with the highest number of child detainees in occupied Jerusalem, has long been subjected to intensified Israeli measures. Mahmoud reports that 70% of Palestinian minors arrested between February and March hail from Issawiya.
Since October 2023, Israeli forces have killed three Palestinian residents of the neighborhood, including two children: 15-year-old Mohammad Mustafa and 16-year-old Laith Abu Marra.
The neighborhood is frequently subjected to heightened military presence. Israeli forces regularly position checkpoints at its entrance, conduct arbitrary vehicle searches, and detain residents.
In February, a widely documented case revealed Israeli soldiers forcibly extracting a young man from his vehicle, deploying a Taser against him, and subjecting him to a degrading public search.
Israeli municipal authorities further escalate pressure on Issawiya’s residents by routinely entering the neighborhood to issue demolition orders and financial penalties.
Officials cite alleged construction violations, often issuing fines for minor infractions, such as fallen leaves in private yards. Additionally, the neighborhood has endured repeated sewage overflows, which residents view as a form of collective punishment.
Home to approximately 24,000 Palestinians, Issawiya has suffered extensive territorial losses due to Israeli settlement expansion. Thousands of dunams have been appropriated for the development of Israeli settlements, including the Hebrew University, Givat Shapira, and Ma’ale Adumim.
Infrastructure projects, such as settler roads Route 1 and Route 437, have further encroached upon Palestinian land. The looming “E1” settlement project threatens to sever Issawiya from its surrounding areas, shrinking its territorial extent by an estimated 35%.
In a further bid to tighten Israeli control, authorities have designated 450 dunams of Issawiya’s land as a “national park.” This park serves to separate Issawiya from the adjacent Palestinian town of Al-Tur while seamlessly connecting Israeli settlements.
Residents view these measures as a deliberate strategy to erode their presence in the city, part of a broader policy aimed at solidifying Israeli dominance over occupied East Jerusalem.
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