Over 1,800 Palestinian children are being held inside Israeli occupation’s custody
GAZA, April 27 (YPA) – The Palestinian Center for Prisoners Studies reported a significant escalation in the targeting of Palestinian minors through Israeli occupation’s arrests and related violations since the outbreak of the war on Gaza in October 2023, documenting over 1,800 detention cases involving children, some as young as 10 years old.
In a recent report, the center stated that these arrests form part of a systematic policy targeting Palestinian children rather than isolated incidents.
It further noted that tens of thousands of minors have been detained since the beginning of the occupation of Palestinian territories, within a broader pattern of sustained repression and restrictive measures.
Moreover, the report indicated a marked intensification of violations since the start of the going genocidal war by the occupation on Gaza, including a rise in torture and abuse against detained children.
It highlighted practices such as starvation and medical neglect, which it said contributed to the death of 17-year-old detainee Walid Ahmed from Silwad inside Megiddo Prison following a deterioration in his health.
In addition, the report said arrests are frequently carried out in a violent manner through night raids on homes, accompanied by the intimidation of families and damage to property, before children are transferred to interrogation centers where, according to the report, they are subjected to beatings, humiliation by the occupation forces, and detention conditions falling below basic humanitarian standards.
Furthermore, it noted that arrests are not limited to home raids, but also occur at military checkpoints, during children’s movement to and from school, or even near residential areas.
It emphasized that minors are exposed, to varying degrees, to physical and psychological abuse even during short periods of detention.
The center accused the occupation’s authorities of violating international legal standards related to child protection, describing these practices as war crimes in light of what it said were ongoing abuses inside interrogation facilities and prisons.
Regarding detention figures, the report stated that approximately 350 Palestinian children remain in the occupation’s custody, including 163 serving sentences, 90 held under administrative detention without charge (including one girl), and the remainder awaiting trial.
The children are reportedly held mainly in Megiddo Prison and Ofer Prison, where they face overcrowding, restricted family visits, medical neglect, and repeated raids by prison units.
Finally, the report documented a particularly striking case of a seven-month-old infant born in prison to a female detainee, which it said reflects the severity of conditions faced by Palestinian children within the detention system.
AA