Israeli soldier in Hebron seizes Palestinian child's bike, dumps it into the trash

An Israeli soldier on Tuesday seized a Hebron-based Palestinian child’s bike and proceeded to throw it into a garbage bin, while the child begged him to return it.

Speaking to The New Arab, local Palestinian sources said that Adam Jaber, a 10-year-old boy, was playing with his friends on the street when Israeli soldiers demanded that they leave.

"Even before the children could implement their orders, an Israeli soldier forcibly took the bike and threw it in the garbage," the sources added. 

Israeli soldiers took away 10-year-old Adam’s bike and threw it in the garbage. His mother, Ghadir Jaber, told B’Tselem field researcher Manal al-Ja’bari yesterday:

“Adam didn’t want to go to school today because he was afraid soldiers would detain him." > pic.twitter.com/BqBg0PzAGx

— B'Tselem בצלם بتسيلم (@btselem) October 19, 2022

Residents in Hebron shared a 59-second short video documenting the incident, which spread widely on social media. 

Speaking to The New Arab, Adam's mother, Ghadir Jaber, in her 20s, said that her child is immensely sad and is scared to leave the house. 

"He is crying most of the time as he thinks that the soldiers may come to our house and arrest him," Adam's mother said. "I do not know what my child did to punish him like this."

Ghadir, who is the sole breadwinner for her children since her husband passed away, explained that Palestinian children play in the streets since there are no playgrounds nearby. 

"The Israeli soldiers violate us and our children by all means under the pretext that we make noise that disturbs the [Israeli] settlers," she said. 

The mother says that she can't afford to buy new bikes or toys, as she's barely able to pay for food or clothes.

The incident sparked anger among Palestinian mothers in Hebron, who said to The New Arab that they are constantly afraid that Israelis will arrest their children. 

Amani Abu Huwaishen, a mother of four children in Hebron, said that the Israeli occupation is doing its best "to force the Palestinians out of the land." 

"Now,"  the 28-year-old mother says, "our children became strategic targets for the Israelis. They want us to keep our sons inside our homes and not let them go out, even not to their schools." 

The Israeli occupation authorities have actively pursued a policy of harassment of Palestinian children, in violation of international norms, laws and covenants. Even in Israeli courts, harsh and unprecedented sentences are handed down to detained minors.

On her part, Shaimaa Abdul Muneem said to The New Arab that her child, Mohammed, was arrested by the Israeli forces and was sentenced to 18 months under the pretext that he threw stones at the soldiers who raided their city. 

"My son was twelve years old only (...) he was beaten by the soldiers in front of my eyes," the grieving mother recalled.

Both Abu Huwishen and Abdul Muneem called on the international community to pressure Israel to stop its abuses on children and civilians. 

According to the non-government Prisoners and Ex-Prisoners Affairs Organization, Israel has arrested more than 50,000 Palestinian children, male and female, since 1967.