Israeli Soldiers Detain Five-Year-Old for Throwing Rocks

A five-year-old Palestinian boy was arrested by Israeli soldiers earlier this week in the West Bank for throwing rocks.

In a video posted on YouTube, the child, identified by an Israeli NGO as Wadi’a Maswadeh, can be seen crying as he’s forced to get into a jeep with the soldiers.

The military judicial system in the West Bank holds children 12 years of age and older responsible for criminal acts.

According to the NGO, B’t selem, Wadi’a and his family were threatened with arrest if they refused to send their son with the soldiers.

In another series of videos posted on B’t selem’s website, Wadi’a is seen with his dad – who has been handcuffed and blindfolded – while being investigated in Hebrew. The officer who conducts the investigation can be heard reprimanding the soldiers for arresting the father and son in the presence of video cameras, complaining that “you’re harming our public image.”