1518 children killed, says Gazan ministry

Israeli soldiers have killed 1518 Palestinian children since the beginning of the Second Intifada in the year 2000, to the beginning of April 2013, an official report has revealed. The figures disclosed by the Gazan Ministry of Information show that more than 6000 children were injured during the same period. The report said that 47.5 percent of the Palestinian population in Gaza comprises of under 18s. Releasing the information on June 3, International Day for the Protection of Children, the ministry said that Palestinians children are still vulnerable to the attacks from Israeli forces. The report claimed that Israeli forces have arrested 9000 children below the age of 18, noting that in 2012, there was an unprecedented escalation in the number children detained. As things stand, Israel is holding 246 Palestinian children in its jails, with 47 of them under the age of 16.