Israeli ministers advance bill to jail minors for 'terror-related' manslaughter

Israeli ministers have advanced a bill to allow children under the age of 14 convicted of "terror-related manslaughter" to be jailed.

The bill was sponsored by lawmaker Yitzhak Kroizer of the far-right Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, Haaretz reported on Sunday.

Though the age of criminal responsibility in Israel is 12, children under 14 currently cannot be given prison sentences.

The bill looks to renew a temporary order on jailing under 14s that expired three years ago, "while limiting it only to manslaughter offences committed in the course of acts of terror", according to its explanatory text.

The bill was condemned by the Parents Against Child Detention organisation, which acts to protect the rights of Palestinian minors in the criminal justice system.

"This is a draconian and immoral bill that will cause severe harm to young children, and especially those in East Jerusalem," Haaretz quoted the organisation as saying.

"While the entire democratic world trends toward strengthening the rights of children, Israel goes backwards."

Palestinian citizens of Israel are overrepresented in the country’s prisons.

Hundreds of Palestinian children are held in Israeli military detention every year.