Palestinian children and adolescents face frequent arrests by the Israeli army, with many detained for months without hearings or family visits. Save the Children has documented from minors’ testimonies that they experience repeated physical and emotional abuse. In surveys, a majority report beatings and theft, and a notable portion sustain injuries at the time of arrest. Some accounts include sexual violence. Others describe being transferred to courts or detention centers in crowded cells, as described by the international NGO in a press release.
Five children aged eight to twelve were detained today in the South Hebron Hills. They were released after requests to police in Kiryat Arba. According to the army, they were suspected of theft of parrots. Whether parrots existed or not, they faced a level of criminal responsibility appropriate to their age. The incident was shared on social media, illustrating the tense and sometimes confusing nature of such detentions.
— Hagar Shezaf (@hagar_shezaf) March 10, 2021
The United Nations estimates that 500 to 1,000 boys and girls are held in Israeli military detention centers each year. Earlier this week, the UN presented evidence to the Council on Rights about violations affecting minors in Israeli detention.
The report notes that Israeli law permits detention of individuals labeled as terrorists who are 12 years or older, a policy widely criticized by human rights groups.
Jason Lee, director of Save the Children in the Palestinian Occupied Territories, stated that there is no justification for harming or robbing children. He observed that these youths face military courts rather than standard juvenile justice systems, a situation rarely seen with other children around the world.
Israel continues to control the Gaza Strip, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, areas referred to as Palestine in the context of the conflict. Since 2008, U.N. casualty counts show tens of thousands of lives affected, with thousands of Palestinian children among them. The balance of fatalities includes both sides, though civilians make up a large share of the numbers. The published counts are debated by various actors and do not always align across organizations.
With the report’s fieldwork, 228 children—221 boys and 7 girls—shared experiences from detention ranging from one month to a year and a half. The organization notes that most were beaten, restrained, and blindfolded during detention. Interrogations occurred in places unfamiliar to their parents or guardians, and many faced food, water, sleep, and legal counsel deprivation. The central alleged crime cited for these arrests remains stone throwing, a charge that carries a potential sentence of up to 20 years in some cases.
Numbers of abuse
According to the findings, 42% of detained children sustained injuries such as gunshot wounds or bone fractures, and a significant majority were held at night, especially around midnight or dawn. A large portion of arrests occurred inside the homes of minors.
In Issawiya, a village in Jerusalem, two Palestinian children were detained, crying and pleading for release as soldiers moved in. The incident circulated on social media as part of a broader call to recognize the patterns of child detention and control in occupied areas.
— IMEU (@theIMEU) March 7, 2022
The report highlights widespread abuse, including physical and emotional harm. Many youths report threats, assaults with sticks or firearms, and intimidation, while some describe sexual violence or intrusive searches. A disturbing share experienced solitary confinement lasting from one day to over a month, and most were denied regular contact with their families while in detention.
Anonymous statements appear in the report. One youth described a brutal personal ordeal, recounting an injury without medical care, a threat during arrest, and fear of retaliation. Such testimonies underscore the emotional toll these experiences have on minors, long after release.
Palestinian children are often handcuffed, blindfolded, and harassed during arrests conducted by the Israeli army, a pattern that has drawn international scrutiny and ongoing debate about the rights and protections for minors in conflict zones.
In another account, a parent recalled pressure to cooperate under threat, an experience that underscores the intersecting pressures families face when loved ones are detained in tense security environments.
Ultimately, the situation remains a focal point for international concern, with many advocating for stronger protections for children and urgent reviews of detention practices in territories under long-standing occupation. Attribution for data and quotes is provided to the respective organizations and observers cited within these reports.