Israeli military boosts age of minors

TEL AVIV, Israel, Oct. 5 (UPI) -- The Israeli military says it is boosting the age for suspects to be tried as minors from 15 to 18 following criticism from human rights groups, a report said.

New orders signed last week say all suspects up to the age of 18 will be tried separately from adults, Haaretz reported Wednesday. The young suspects will be held in separate detention facilities and their parents will be notified of the arrest. Minors will also be informed they have the right to an attorney before interrogation

The human rights group B'Tselem said it welcomes the change but said the protections provided under military law in the Palestinian territories still falls short of Israeli law. The group said 700 minors are arrested each year.

Under Israeli law, a parent may accompany a minor who is arrested, while the military law says the parents just need to be informed, the report said. The group said the military also needs to make sure the minor actually speaks to a lawyer before being questioned.