April 4, 2001
Kids as warriors

In Gaza, a 13-year-old Palestinian carrying an unloaded Kalashnikov rifle lead a rally of about a dozen children who carried fake guns and were dressed in the traditional white burial clothing worn by "martyrs" killed fighting Israel.

"God is great" shouted the leading child on stage as the children and a crowd of some 300 onlookers repeated after him, "Long live Palestine! Death to America, death to Israel!". Other Palestinian youths burned Israeli and American flags at the demonstration.

In Ramallah, the funeral processions for two Palestinians killed in clashes this week were lead by children wearing belts of fake explosives, which are often used by suicide bombers.