Israel has detained more than 2,000 Palestinian children since 2023
Rights group reports harsh detention conditions, medical neglect and continued use of administrative detention.
Israel has arrested more than 2,000 Palestinian children since the start of its war on the Gaza Strip in October 2023, with at least 350 still in detention under harsh conditions, the Palestinian Prisoners Society said on Wednesday.
The non-governmental organization said Israeli forces arrested six children overnight in the towns of Sa'ir and Al-Shuyukh in the Hebron governorate of the occupied West Bank.
According to the group’s monitoring and documentation, Palestinian children have faced intimidation, arrest, torture, starvation, isolation and denial of medical care.
The organization said the number of children detained from Gaza since the start of the war remains unclear, citing thousands of missing people in the enclave, including children, and cases of alleged enforced disappearance.
Administrative detention raises concerns
The Palestinian Prisoners Society said Israel’s administrative detention policy allows Palestinians to be held without publicly stated charges or a clear timeframe for release.
The practice leaves detained children facing an uncertain future and disrupts their family lives and education, the group said.
It also accused Israeli courts of contributing to the continuation of violations against children, citing what it described as a lack of effective accountability.
Medical neglect highlighted in detention cases
The group cited the death of child Walid Khaled Ahmad in Megiddo Prison in March 2025. It said medical findings at the time indicated severe emaciation and signs of malnutrition and dehydration.
The organization questioned accountability in the case, noting that the investigation into his death had been closed.
It also raised the case of 15-year-old Mohammed Hamid, who reportedly developed scabies while detained in Ofer Prison. His condition deteriorated, leading to serious infections affecting vital organs, the group said.
Hamid underwent heart surgeries and was admitted to intensive care in critical condition before one of his legs was later amputated, according to the organization.
The group said he had continued receiving medical treatment for about three months after Israeli authorities released him following the deterioration of his health. It described his release as an attempt to evade responsibility for his medical care.
Calls for international intervention
The Palestinian Prisoners Society called for international action to secure the release of children it considers arbitrarily detained, end administrative detention and coercive interrogations, and halt torture, starvation and the denial of medical treatment.
It urged the international community to move beyond documenting and condemning alleged violations and take concrete measures to ensure accountability and protect Palestinian children’s rights.
More than 74,000 Palestinians have been killed and over 175,000 injured in Gaza since October 2023, according to figures cited in the report. Around 90% of the enclave’s infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed.
Meanwhile, Israeli military raids and attacks by Israeli settlers against Palestinians and their property have intensified across the occupied West Bank, including East Jerusalem, since the war began.
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