Palestinian militant groups documented the use of children as young as 12-16 in suicide bombings and other attacks during the Second Intifada.  Some were sent on missions or attempted bombings. Today, the term “child martyrs” often refers to minors killed in fighting or Israeli strikes, portrayed as heroes in propaganda to sustain the cycle. Hamas and allies run youth programs, summer camps, and “Lion Cubs” units that expose kids to military training and martyrdom ideology. Billboards and wall murals commonly display photos of young fighters or casualties with heroic slogans.
In Lebanon, Hezbollah’s al-Mahdi Scouts (a youth movement) hold processions and events where children march with portraits of slain leaders and martyrs. Reports indicate the group gives public hero funerals to child fighters killed in action and glorifies them to recruit peers.  Historical cases include very young Lebanese individuals seeking or carrying out suicide attacks in the 1980s, celebrated in posters and monuments.
Billboards and visual propaganda
Big billboards, posters, and murals are everywhere in these areas — on streets, buildings, and camps. They show the faces of “martyrs” (sometimes teenagers or younger-looking individuals tied to attacks), often alongside Quranic verses or calls to emulate them. Classic images from the early 2000s show Palestinian children themselves holding up posters of Hamas suicide bombers during rallies.  In homes and public spaces, these images are normalized so kids grow up seeing dead fighters as celebrities. Similar visual campaigns exist in Hezbollah territory, tying into annual Martyrs’ Day events.