\n\t\t\t\t(a) Routinely arrested in the middle of the night by soldiers shouting instructions at the family and taken hand-tied and blindfolded to unknown destination without having the possibility to say good bye to their parents who rarely know where their children are taken; \n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
\n\t\t\t\t(b) Systematically subject to physical and verbal violence, humiliation, painful restraints, hooding of the head and face in a sack, threatened with death, physical violence, and sexual assault against themselves or members of their family, restricted access to toilet, food and water. These crimes are perpetrated from the time of arrest, during transfer and interrogation, to obtain a confession but also on an arbitrary basis as testified by several Israeli soldiers as well as during pre-trial detention; and\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t(c) Held in solitary confinement, sometimes for months.\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n
<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t36.
\t<\/span>The Committee reminds the State party about its unavoidable responsibility to prevent and eradicate torture and ill-treatment of children living in the OPT which are not only a serious violation of article 37 (a) of the Convention on the Rights of the Child but also a grave breach of article 32 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. The Committee strongly urges the State party to: <\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t
(a) Immediately remove all children from solitary confinement; <\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t
(b) Launch without delay an independent inquiry into all alleged cases of torture and ill- treatment of Palestinian children. This should include ensuring that at all levels of the chain of command, those who have been ordering, condoning or facilitating these practices be brought to justice and be punished with penalties commensurate with the gravity of their crimes; <\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t
(c) Take immediate measures to ensure that children living in the OPT are provided with safe and child-friendly complaint mechanisms, including during trials, with regard to the treatment they were subjected to at the time of arrest and subsequent detention; <\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t
(d) Ensure that relevant judicial authorities are exercising due diligence in investigating and prosecuting acts that amount to torture or other forms of ill-treatment, even in the absence of a formal complaint when circumstances cast a doubt about the way confession was obtained; and <\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t
(e) Ensure physical and psychological recovery as well as social reintegration assistance to all children living in the OPT who have been victims of torture and ill-treatment. <\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t
Corporal punishment <\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t
37.\t<\/span><\/span>The Committee welcomes the full prohibition of corporal punishment in all settings in the State party as well as the Compulsory Education (Physical Violence Reporting Rules) Regulations No. 5770-2009 which obliges Principals of educational institutions to report in writing any occurrence of physical violence between an educator and a pupil. The Committee is however concerned about the high proportion of students reporting that they have experienced physical and emotional maltreatment, and that corporal punishment continues to be inflicted on children in detention. <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t
38.\t<\/span><\/span>In light of its general comment Nº 8 of 2006 on the right of the child to protection from corporal punishment and other cruel or degrading forms of punishment, the Committee recommends that the State party take effective measures to eliminate corporal punishment and its psychological consequences including through the implementation of public and professional awareness raising programmes including campaigns. The State party should also promote positive, non-violent and participatory forms of child-rearing and discipline as an alternative to corporal punishment and establish child-friendly complaints mechanisms. <\/strong><\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t
Abuse and neglect <\/strong>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t
39.\t<\/span><\/span> The Committee notes as positive the State’s appeals against court decisions pronouncing light sanctions for parents abusing and neglecting their children (e.g. Cr.A (Be‘er-Sheva) 7161\/02 The State of Israel v. Z.Y. (12.2.2003). The Committee also welcomes the 2007 decision of the Jerusalem Magistrate Court (C.C. 3970\/98 Yitzhak Goldstein v. The State of Israel (14.01.2007) condemning the Municipality of Tel-Aviv for its failure to remove a child from his home and to protect him from abuse and neglect despite evidence available to the Department of Welfare that the child was mistreated. The Committee however expresses concern about insufficient support and services to promote responsible parenting and the shortage of placement for children at risk which lead some children to be held in detention facilities, as in the case of 153 teenage girls reportedly held in detention facilities awaiting placement in May 2012. <\/span>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n<\/p>\n
\n\t\t\t\t