Use of Young Recruits Upsets Palestinians

NABLUS, West Bank - They were young, perhaps the youngest ever to try an armed attack against Israelis, and they were ready to die.

The arrest of three boys ages 12, 13 and 15, accused of trying to slip into Israel with homemade guns, sparked horror among their families and concern by Palestinian officials that militant groups have gone too far in their choice of recruits.

"That's absolutely unacceptable," said Palestinian Cabinet Minister Saeb Erekat. "Our children should have hope and a future and should not be suicide bombers. We want them to be doctors and engineers."

Israeli forces arrested the three Palestinian youths from the village of Tubas, near Nablus, on Thursday as they tried to cross a checkpoint, Israeli police spokesman Gil Kleiman said.

The boys said they planned to shoot people in the northern Israeli city of Afula, he said.

The army said it was still investigating the case and had not decided whether to charge the boys.

Palestinians have carried out thousands of attacks against Israelis during 41 months of violence, killing 930 people, while 2,688 have been killed on the Palestinian side, almost all in Israeli military strikes.

The boys, Jaffar Dababaat, 12, Tarek Abu Mahsen, 13, and Ibrahim Suafta, 15, left behind a letter saying they wanted to strike a blow against the barrier Israel is building in the West Bank. The note identified Tarek as a member of Islamic Jihad and the other two as members of the Al Aqsa Martyrs' Brigades, a militant group linked to Yasser Arafat's Fatah movement.

"If we die, if we become martyrs, don't feel sorry for us. Just have a massive protest in our honor and distribute sweets to everyone," the letter said.

Tarek's parents were outraged and criticized Islamic Jihad for recruiting youngsters for an attack that would likely lead to their deaths.

"My son doesn't know how to write such a letter and never belonged to any groups. Someone older wrote this letter for him," said his mother, Amira Abu Mahsen.

"If it is proved that someone in specific sent them on this mission, I will make sure they are punished. They shouldn't send my young boy on such missions," said his father, Mohammed Abu Mahsen.

An Al Aqsa official who declined to be named strenuously denied the group had sent the boys. "This is impossible. I don't know where these kids came from," he said. Islamic Jihad spokesmen could not be reached for comment.

Criticism of attacks on Israelis is rare among Palestinians, but in recent months more people have been condemning the recruiting methods used by the militant groups.