Israeli court extends prison term for Palestinian teen

By Ibrahim Hazin

JERUSALEM (AA) – A court in Israel decided Wednesday to extend the prison term of a 13-year-old Palestinian boy for allegedly attempting to stab an Israeli soldier in Jerusalem in September last year.

According to the Palestinian Valley Hilva Information Center’s Facebook page, Esref Hassan, who has spent a year in prison, will remain there for two more years.

According to Defense for Children International Palestine (DCIP), at the end of August, 153 Palestinian children were detained in Israeli prisons and detention centers, according to data released by the Israel Prison Service.

“Each year, approximately 500-700 Palestinian children, some as young as 12 years old, are detained and prosecuted in the Israeli military court system. The most common charge is stone throwing,” DCIP said.