JERUSALEM — A 15-year-old Palestinian, Mohammed Basel Zalbani, has been sentenced to 18 years in prison by an Israeli court. Zalbani, a resident of the Shu’fat refugee camp east of occupied East Jerusalem, was convicted of allegedly participating in an attack in the occupied West Bank that resulted in the killing of an Israeli soldier.
The Jerusalem District Court also ordered Zalbani to pay 300,000 shekels (approximately $83,333) in compensation. His arrest took place on February 13, 2023, during which Israeli forces also demolished his family’s home. The Palestinian Prisoner Society reports that Zalbani was accused of involvement in the attack on an Israeli soldier at a checkpoint in Shu’fat in 2023.
The Palestinian Prisoner Society, an organization advocating for the rights of Palestinian detainees, shared alarming statistics, indicating that over 14,500 Palestinians are currently being held in Israeli prisons, including 1,115 minors.
The sentencing comes amid heightened tensions in the occupied West Bank, where violent clashes have escalated. According to the Palestinian Health Ministry, at least 915 Palestinians have been killed, and nearly 7,000 others have been injured in attacks by Israeli forces and settlers since the start of the Gaza war on October 7, 2023. This latest sentencing of a Palestinian child highlights the ongoing struggles faced by young Palestinians in the region.
