Israel holds nearly 370 Palestinian children in custody

Nearly 370 Palestinian children are currently being held in Israeli prisons, according to data from the Israel Prison Service. Rights organizations, including Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCIP), report that the number of minors held under administrative detention—a policy allowing imprisonment without charge or trial for renewable six-month periods—has nearly doubled in just over a year.

DCIP reported that as of late 2023, more than half of the 351 detained children were being held without facing charges or trial, marking the highest proportion recorded since the group began monitoring in 2008. While Israel states that approximately 90% of detained minors are held for security-related reasons, many have not been convicted of crimes.

Human rights groups and former detainees have raised allegations of mistreatment within the prison system, including physical and psychological abuse, starvation, sexual violence, and the denial of medical treatment. These detentions have continued alongside military operations in Gaza, with frequent arrests and raids also occurring across the West Bank.