Bernard Spiegal

Some numbers:

17, 15, 16, 14, 17, 17, 17, 16, 10, 16, 16, 14, 17, 16, 17, 15, 14, 14, 17, 15, 17,11, 8, 5, 17,10, 5, 16, 2.

Twenty-nine numbers. Added together, they come to 401. 

Those numbers can be expressed as an average. Do that, and the answer is 13.8.

In addition, when seeking to understand, to interpret, a collection of numbers, it can also be helpful to look at both the highest and the lowest number in the series.  The highest is 17, nine of those. The lowest is 2.

Two years’ old, that is.

On the 6 June this year, Mahmoud Tamimi, 2, was shot in the head from an Israeli forces watchtower in the Palestinian village of Nabi Saleh.

View of the Israeli army post at the entrance of the village of Nabi Saleh

As to the other 28 numbers, they are the ages of Palestinian children killed by Israeli forces so far this year (to the 6 June).  

So far.

That’s just under one child killed a week; or four/five killed a month (based on an incomplete June at time of writing).  According to the human rights group B’Tselem, the Tamimi child is the 150th Palestinian to have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers since the start of this year.

‘Unlawful killings of Palestinian children have become the norm as Israeli forces become increasingly empowered to use intentional lethal force in situations that are not justified,” he added. “This is a war crime with no consequence.’ Ayed Abu Eqtaish, of Defense for Children International – Palestine (DCIP)

A murderous future?

Given the numbers for the first 24 weeks of this year, along with the statement by DCIP, a grim prediction could be made. That if the killing-rate of Palestinian children by Israeli forces for the next 24 weeks is similar to the first 24 weeks of this year, 29 recorded at 6 June, that would make a potential total of shot and killed children by Israeli forces in the order of 60 for the year. 

Pages: 1 2