The high level of unemployment and difficult economic conditions faced by the State of Palestine are some of the primary factors leading to human trafficking within Palestine for the purposes of sex exploitation and child labour, mostly of women and children.¹ Some men are also trafficked for forced labour to Israel and illegal Israeli settlements.¹ Children have also been used by Israeli forces as human shields (in 17 cases) and informants.²
Any attempts at solving the issue of human trafficking must try to stop the cause, and not the symptoms, of the problem. Economic assistance to countries facing difficulties, and the end of illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian land, are a must. We must work together to prevent the need for these activities, and remove the economic, and other, incentives for participation in them.
1. “A Human Rights Report on Trafficking in Persons …,” accessed November 15, 2019, http://www.protectionproject.org/wp-content/uploads/2010/09/Palestine-FINAL-2012.pdf)
2. DCIP staff, “Recruitment and Use of Palestinian Children in Armed Conflict,” Defense for Children Palestine, accessed November 15, 2019, https://www.dci-palestine.org/recruitment_and_use_of_palestinian_children_in_armed_conflict)
- Camden Lucas
