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Photo:
Illustrative scene. File. Published by Maan News
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HEBRON (Ma'an) -- Israeli forces detained an eight-year-old Palestinian child, on Friday afternoon, near the entrance of the town of Beit Ummar, north of the southern occupied West bank district of Hebron.

Local sources said that Israeli forces targeted eight-year-old Omar Rabie Abu Ayyash and detained him near the entrance to the town of Beit Ummar.

The reason for Ayyash's detention remained unknown.

Defense for Children International reported that since 2000, at least 8,000 Palestinian children have been detained and prosecuted in an Israeli military detention system infamous for the systematic mistreatment and torture of Palestinian children.

The Palestinian Authority (PA) Prisoners and Former Prisoners' Affairs Committee reported, earlier in October, that Israel had detained 35 Palestinian minors during September 2018.

The committee's August report documented testimonies from a number of Palestinian children during their detention by Israeli forces and revealed that the children were subjected to systematic beatings and torture during and after their detention.

According to prisoners rights group Addameer, there are 270 Palestinian child prisoners being held in Israeli prisons, of whom 50 are under the age of 16.