In recent years, “dozens of children have been wounded by sponge-tipped bullets, with many of them losing their eyes”

Israeli occupation forces shot sponge-tipped bullets at two Palestinian children in East Jerusalem in two separate incidents this week, reported Haaretz.

Both incidents occurred in Issawiya, which has experienced almost a year of violent harassment by Israeli occupation forces.

According to Haaretz, 16-year-old Mohamed Atia “was shot Monday while standing in his schoolyard and his arm was fractured”.

Ten-year-old Fawzi Abid, meanwhile, “was shot Tuesday while standing on the balcony of his home…sustaining an injury to his hand that required medical attention.”

In the case of Atia, “video footage of the incident shows police officers getting out of the vehicle and pushing a man who was selling food to students at the school entrance.”

One Border Police officer is then seen “inserting his weapon between the bars of the gate at the entrance to the school and firing five shots at children in the schoolyard.”

He was in the yard, standing near the principal, when all of a sudden, they shot him in the hand

the boy’s father, Awani Atia, said.

Police claimed that the incident began after a student hurled a stone at a passing police vehicle.

As described by Haaretz, police activity in Issawiya has included daily neighbourhood raids, “patrolling, arrests and setting up checkpoints and laying ambushes”.

In recent years, “dozens of children have been wounded by sponge-tipped bullets, with many of them losing their eyes”, the paper added, including a teenager killed “after being shot in the head”.

“So far, no police officer has been tried for illegal use of sponge-tipped bullets.”

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