Albanese describes Israeli army as 'most depraved' after video of child abuse in Ramallah

The UN Special Rapporteur on human rights in the Palestinian territories, Francesca Albanese, launched a sharp attack on the practices of the Israeli army, describing it as "the most depraved" ever. This firm stance came in a post on her official account, commenting on leaked video clips documenting brutal assaults carried out by occupation soldiers against Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank.

Albanese affirmed that the scenes she witnessed provide absolute certainty about the moral level reached by the occupation army in its dealings with unarmed civilians. She pointed out that the video showing the abuse of a child in Al-Mughayyir village, located near Ramallah city, is a horrific scene that reflects a systematic policy of intimidation and continuous assault on Palestinian childhood.

The circulated clips, which sparked widespread anger on social media platforms, show three soldiers detaining two children in a terrifying manner, with one of them violently dragging a child no older than nine by his clothes. The camera also documented the soldier pushing the child right and left amidst screams of fear, in a scene that embodies the extent of daily violations suffered by residents of Palestinian villages and towns.

Local sources reported that this incident occurred during a wide-ranging raid carried out by the occupation army on Al-Mughayyir town last Saturday, which developed into a comprehensive siege of the village on Sunday. This raid coincided with coordinated attacks carried out by groups of extremist settlers on citizens' properties, leading to violent confrontations that resulted in injuries among Palestinians.

This incident comes in the context of an unprecedented escalation witnessed in the West Bank since October 2023, where official data indicate that more than 1,149 Palestinians have been killed and about 11,750 others injured. The pace of arrests has also increased dramatically, affecting nearly 22,000 citizens, amid the continuation of night and day raids on Palestinian cities and camps.

Regarding child prisoners, statistics indicate that the occupation authorities are holding about 360 children in their prisons who live in harsh conditions lacking the minimum requirements of human and legal rights. These children suffer from abusive procedures and harsh field interrogations no different from what adult prisoners face, which places the international community before its responsibilities towards protecting minors under occupation.

The Israeli army continues to carry out daily military operations interspersed with direct assaults on citizens and their private property, turning the lives of Palestinians into a series of continuous suffering. Human rights reports confirm that these practices, supported by settlers, aim to displace residents and expand settlement areas in the heart of the occupied West Bank.

I have seen enough to say with absolute certainty that the Israeli army is the most depraved.