Special for Africa ExPress Antonio Mazzeo July 2022Italy and Israel will further strengthen their military industrial cooperation.On Wednesday 13 July a large delegation from the Israeli Defense Ministry came on an official visit to Rome to meet the Secretary General of Defense and National Director of Armaments, General Luciano Portolano.Leading the delegation was Major General Amir Eshel, Director General of the Ministry of Defense, former Commander-in-Chief of the Israeli Air Force from 2012 to 2017. Also present was the Deputy Director General and Head of the Directorate of Procurement and Production of the Israeli Armed Forces, Colonel Avi Dadon, and the military attaché of the Israeli embassy in Italy, Colonel Dror Altman."The meetings took place in a climate of mutual esteem and collaboration and allowed to further consolidate the already excellent relations between Italy and Israel, with particular reference to the strengthening of industrial cooperation, through the sharing of new areas of collaboration to be developed with the full involvement of the respective Armed Forces - writes the press office of the Defense -.The constant strategic dialogue between the parties has also made it possible to confront in a frank, sincere and fruitful way on the subject of the challenges imposed by the current international crisis scenarios and on the context in which the parties intend to cooperate ".At the conclusion of the meeting, General Amir Eshel expressed "his great appreciation, on behalf of the entire Israeli defense establishment", for the strategic alliance between the two countries and the "firm position of Italy alongside the state of Israel in international contexts ".They continue not to upset in Italy either the crimes committed by the Israeli armed forces against the Palestinian population, or the recent bloody operations by Tel Aviv in Gaza, Lebanon and Syria.Business is business and the partnership between the public holding Leonardo SpA and the leading companies of the Israeli military-industrial complex is becoming increasingly solid and convinced.It is a pity that at the same time as the official visit of the authoritative Israeli military delegation, the United Nations expressed yet another heavy condemnation of Israel on the subject of human rights violations.On 11 July, Secretary General Antonio Guterres presented the annual report on Children and Armed Conflicts in the World which lists Israel among the countries responsible for the "highest levels of serious violations" in the course of 2021, alongside Afghanistan, Syria, the Democratic Republic of Congo, Somalia and Yemen."The United Nations has verified 2,934 serious violations against 1,208 Palestinian boys and girls and 9 Israeli minors in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Gaza and on Israeli territory," the report reads.In particular, the secretary general ascertained the detention of 637 Palestinian minors for "alleged crimes against security" by Israeli forces."Eighty-five of these minors reported mistreatment and violations of due process guarantees by the Israeli authorities while they were detained and 75 percent of them said they had been subjected to physical violence."The United Nations also describes a dramatic toll of blood: 88 girls and boys (86 Palestinians and 2 Israelis) were murdered in Gaza (69), in the West Bank and East Jerusalem (17) and in Israel (2) by the armed forces and by Israeli police (78), by Palestinian armed groups (8) or by unidentified perpetrators or following the explosion of war remnants (2).“In the West Bank, minors were killed with firearms mostly during demonstrations (9), or in connection with alleged attacks or attempted assaults against civilians or Israeli forces (7) - adds the report -.In Gaza, 59 children and children died as a result of airstrikes, one was hit by Israeli forces during the escalation of hostilities in May, 6 by rockets fired by Palestinian armed groups, one by Israeli forces during a demonstration in front of the perimeter wall between Israel and Gaza.The two Israeli children killed in 2021 were also hit by rockets launched by Palestinian armed groups ”.Even more dramatic is the number of minors who have suffered mutilations and serious injuries: 1,121 Palestinians and 7 Israelis (850 male and 278 female).“Those responsible for the injuries were in order the Israeli armed forces (982), Israeli settlers (28) and Palestinian armed groups including the Al-Quds Brigades of Islamic Yihad (46) - writes the UN secretary general -.Mutilations were caused by Israelis during artillery bombardments and air strikes (539), tear gas inhalation (153), rubber-coated metal bullets (133) and bullets (116).In the West Bank and East Jerusalem 196 children were seriously injured by Israeli forces during demonstrations against settler settlements ”.Forty-three children in Gaza who were mutilated as a result of operations by Palestinian armed groups, 18 after the rocket launch in May 2021, 23 due to the explosion of stored weapons and 2 because they were accidentally hit during training activities.The UN also verified 246 armed attacks on schools and hospitals, more than half by the Israeli military."The accidents were caused in the course of air attacks (67), following attacks on medical personnel (59), the explosion of ammunition stored near schools and hospitals (5), the attack with rockets (1) - adds the report -.In addition, there were 156 other kinds of interference in health (54) and education (102) by the Israeli military and settlers.In most cases, these interferences consisted of gunshots against health facilities, ambulances and paramedical personnel and the illegal closure of schools or the prohibition of access to teachers and pupils ”.The UN also found that the Israeli authorities refused or delayed the granting of permits to 38 per cent of the children who requested to be allowed to leave the Erez passage to access specialized medical treatment outside Gaza (in all 933 children and 648 girls)."I am shocked at the number of children who have died and seriously injured by the Israeli military during hostilities, in air strikes against densely populated areas, at the use of active ammunition in law enforcement operations, and at the persistent lack of responsibility for these violations ”, complains the UN Secretary General, Antonio Guterres.“I am also concerned - continues the secretary general - about the increase in the number of minors detained by Israel and the reports of physical violence they suffer during their detention.I reiterate my appeal for Israel to respect the norms of international youth justice, including the use of deprivation of liberty as a means of last resort and for the shortest possible time, and to stop resorting to administrative detention of minors and prevent all forms of violence and ill-treatment during detention ".An appeal was also made to Palestinian armed groups to put an end to the recruitment and use of minors."I also urge them to completely stop rocket fire and mortar fire from densely populated areas of Gaza towards centers with an Israeli civilian population - concludes the UN Secretary General, adding: I urge all Palestinian armed groups to protect minors, in particular, preventing them from being exposed to the danger of violence or avoiding exploiting them for political purposes ".Antonio Mazzeo amazzeo61@gmail.com © REPRODUCTION RESERVEDDo you want to contact Africa ExPress?Send a WhatsApp message with your name and your region (or country) of residence to the number +39 345 211 73 43 and we will call you back.Specify if you want to be subscribed to the Africa Express Mailing List to receive news from our online newspaper for free via whatsapp.Save my name, email, and website in this browser for the next time I comment.Editor in charge: Massimo A. 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Toelgyes Editor-in-chief: Sandro Pintus In editorial office: .Barbara Ciolli (Mediterranean Africa and Yemen) Investigative reporter: Monica Mistretta Expert in military matters: Antonio Mazzeo Correspondents: from Benin City, Bressing Akele;from Asmara, Saba Makeda;from New York, Hillary Duenas.Sports correspondent: Costantino Muscau The following collaborated and / or collaborate with us: Simona Fossati, Dania Avallone, Michael Backbone, Marco Cavallarin, Serge Daniel, Federico Franchini, Marco Massoni, Andrew Mwangura, Alessandra Panunzio, Marcello Ricoveri, Paola Rolletta, Bianca Saini, Maria Silva, Andrea Spinelli Barrile, Ferdinand von Habsburg-Lothringen and others.Webmaster: Mateusz Pappalardo, Giorgio Maggioni Africa ExPress hosts articles taken from New Humanitarian (ex IRIN).Registration n.160 of 14/5/2015 at the Court of Milan © ️ RESERVED REPRODUCTION Do you want to contact Africa ExPress?Send a WhatsApp message with your name and region to +39 345 211 73 43 and we will call you back.