Israel accused this Wednesday (3) the terrorist group Hamas of “indoctrinating” and militarily training children in the Gaza Strip, using them to carry weapons and gather information, including in times of war.
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) released photos showing the children, whose faces have been blurred, holding weapons and missile launchers, as well as a video showing them in a tunnel accompanied by Hamas members, without specifying where and when the images were taken.
“Even during war, the terrorist organization Hamas uses minors for various tasks, such as delivering messages and ammunition […] with the understanding that the Israel Defense Forces will not harm them due to Israeli troops' compliance with international law,” a military spokesman said in a statement.
The IDF did not specify whether the children were used in the current war, which began on October 7, or whether they were referring to previous wars.
During its investigation of a Hamas commander in the Zeitun battalion in the Palestinian enclave, the IDF said it discovered that children are used to “carry explosives in sacks of vegetables or are sent to combat locations after attacks in order to assess the damage and report it to terrorists hiding in shelters.”
“Minors are educated from a young age in schools, youth movements and military training camps to hate Israel and Jews,” said the military spokesman.
“Hamas routinely operates summer camps where children learn to fire weapons, walk in tunnels, fight tanks and even kidnap soldiers. These are the first stages of training for Hamas' military wing,” he added.
The IDF reported that its intelligence services are aware of a “significant number of minors active in Hamas and Islamic Jihad.”
Israel has repeatedly accused Hamas of using civilians, including children, as shields in its fighting against Israeli troops and of using facilities such as schools and kindergartens to hide weapons and launch attacks.
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