Exploited "Intersection Children" Must Be Protected and Cared For
- ACRI
- 5 days ago
- 2 min read
On November 18, 2025, ACRI reached out to the Police Commissioner, the Directors-General of the Ministry of Welfare and the Ministry of National Security, and the State Attorney, demanding immediate and systematic action to address the ongoing issue of "intersection children." These are Palestinian minors, including children as young as five, who are brought to Israel in order to beg and sell trinkets at major traffic intersections. The children live under harsh conditions; they are exposed to serious physical and psychological harm, and are sometimes killed in traffic accidents. According to reports, these children are victims of organized exploitation networks that profit from the children's labor at the expense of their safety and welfare, that use methods of remote supervision and means of control, threats, and sometimes violence to ensure the children's compliance.
In the petition, attorneys Michal Tadjer and Tal Hassin note the helplessness of state authorities in the face of this issue. Despite numerous Knesset discussions over 20 years and past decisions, no effective policy has been formulated, nor practical measures implemented to prevent the problem or protect the children involved. There is no systematic mapping of the scope of the problem, no organized research, and no effective enforcement against the ringleaders. Instead, the common practice is to arrest the children and return them to the West Bank without providing them with any care or protection. Meanwhile, the Ministry of Welfare disclaims any responsibility for these children due to their being Palestinian, in spite of police statements that the Ministry is, in fact, responsible for their care.
We demanded the immediate implementation of measures that the State itself has already deemed necessary, including: the composition of an enforcement plan in accordance with the National Plan for Combating Human Trafficking against those profiting from the exploitation of children, that lays out the targets for enforcement and a timeline for the plan's implementation; the formulation of a long-term plan to prevent and stop this issue; the development of a professional training plan on child labor for law enforcement officials; and formulating a rehabilitation and protection plan for the children, in cooperation with the Palestinian Authority and providing aid and solutions for victims who are not Israeli residents.
ACRI’s petition, November 18, 2025 (Heb)
