Israel holds over half of Palestinian children in detention without formal charges

Palestinian Children Detained in Israeli Prisons Without Charge or Trial

According to a recent report by Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCIP), 51% of Palestinian children detained in Israeli prisons as of December 31, 2025, were being held without charge or trial. This represents the highest number and proportion on record since DCIP began monitoring the figures in 2008.

The report cites newly released Israel Prison Service statistics, which account for Israeli prisons under IPS administration but do not include children held in Israeli military detention and interrogation centers. The exact number of children detained at these sites is unknown, although DCIP has gathered firsthand testimonies from previously detained children describing dehumanizing conditions.

Palestinian children have faced a surge in arrests and detentions since Israel’s genocidal war in the Gaza Strip began in October 2023. Administrative detention, a policy allowing Israel to hold Palestinians without charge or trial for six-month periods that can be renewed indefinitely, has been used extensively by Israeli authorities.

According to Addameer, more than a third of the 9,500 Palestinians detained by Israel as of March 11 were being held under administrative detention. Human rights groups have reported allegations of abuses in Israeli prisons and interrogation facilities, including sexual violence and torture.

DCIP’s report highlights the “appalling and debilitating conditions” faced by Palestinian children in Israeli detention facilities, including beatings, denials of medical care, and solitary confinement. The organization notes that these conditions violate the United Nations’ Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Israel has ratified.

Source: Al Jazeera