IDF exposes how Hamas & PIJ train children terror activities in Gaza

Israel Defense Forces published evidence on Wednesday showing that the Hamas terror organization indoctrinates children in the Gaza Strip and incites them to participate in terrorist activity.

From a young age, children are taught to hate Israel and Jews. In UN-affiliated schools, youth movements, and camps, children are given both theoretical and practical military training. 

Even in normal times, Hamas operates summer camps where children learn to shoot weapons, storm through tunnels, attack tanks and even kidnap soldiers. These camps represent the early stages of training for Hamas' military wing. Intelligence indicates a significant number of minors in Gaza are active in the Hamas and Islamic Jihad terrorist organizations. 

At an even younger age, Gaza children are indoctrinated with television programming that teaches them to hate Jews and value jihad. A popular character, Farfour the mouse, a knockoff of Mickey Mouse, regularly spouted antisemitic tropes on the Hamas-owned Al-Aqsa TV channel in 2007. Farfour was later “martyred” in the final episode of the show by “Israeli interrogators.”

However, during the current war, the IDF has discovered further evidence that Hamas uses minors for multiple tasks in order to reduce risk to their operatives, such as delivering messages and ammunition. 

One of the videos shows children enthusiastically touring a “terror tunnel" in Gaza alongside Hamas terrorists. At the end of the training, the children receive "certificates of appreciation” and ID cards showing their “membership” in Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ), another terror organization that operates in Gaza. 

Photos show children learning how to use weapons, from Kalashnikov rifles to RPGs, and even tanks. The children are seen receiving military training, including simulated drills and the abduction of IDF soldiers. 

The IDF previously disclosed the investigation of a company commander in the Hamas 'Zeytoun' Battalion, that detailed the terrorist organization's doctrine on using children during fighting.

According to the doctrine, children are used to transfer ammunition and messages with the understanding that the IDF will not harm them because of the IDF's regular compliance with international law. 

An example of this is the transfer of explosives in vegetable bags by children in Gaza. Another example is how the terrorists use children to survey combat zones after attacks to assess the damage and report back to the operatives who are hiding in shelters. 

All of the documented examples provided by the IDF represent breaches of humanitarian law, which prohibits the use of children in combat situations. 

The IDF estimates that the number of active minors being used by Hamas in the current conflict is 170, according to a FOX news report. 

The IDF previously documented several of these methods in a website called “The Status of Children in Gaza.” 

Meanwhile, FOX said the director of communications for UN Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA) told them the organization didn’t “have any information on what you are sharing” regarding the information released by the IDF.