Israeli forces have detained more than 2,000 Palestinian children in the occupied Palestinian territories since October 2023, according to the Palestinian Prisoners Society. At least 350 Palestinian children are currently being held in Israeli prisons, where they reportedly face harsh conditions, including allegations of ill-treatment, inadequate food and denial of medical care.
The figures were reported by Al Jazeera on Thursday, 15 October, citing the Palestinian Prisoners Society, an organisation that monitors the conditions and treatment of Palestinian detainees.
The report raises fresh concerns about the treatment of children detained amid the continuing conflict and the wider pattern of arrests across the occupied West Bank and Gaza Strip. According to the organisation, Israeli forces continue to arrest Palestinian minors in different areas of the occupied territories. On Tuesday, at least six children were reportedly detained in Hebron, in the West Bank.
The full number of children detained from Gaza remains unclear. The organisation said reports of enforced disappearances and missing people had made it difficult to establish how many children had been taken into custody. The uncertainty surrounding these cases presents a significant challenge for families seeking information about missing relatives and for organisations attempting to document detention figures.
Allegations of Abuse and Denial of Medical Care
The Palestinian Prisoners Society has raised serious concerns about the conditions in which detained children are being held. Its report describes allegations of ill-treatment, hunger and inadequate access to medical assistance, highlighting the risks faced by minors in detention.
One case cited in the report concerns 15-year-old Mohammad Hamid, who was held at Ofer prison. According to the organisation, he developed scabies, a contagious skin condition, and subsequently underwent heart surgery before having one of his legs amputated. The report does not provide sufficient detail to establish the full medical circumstances surrounding these developments.
Another case involves 17-year-old Walid Ahmed, who died in March 2025 after spending six months in Megiddo prison, according to the organisation. The report highlights his death as part of its broader concerns about the welfare of Palestinian children in Israeli custody. However, further independently verified information about the circumstances and medical cause of his death was not provided in the account.
Such allegations have renewed attention on the need for adequate healthcare, safe living conditions and independent scrutiny of detention facilities, particularly when those in custody are children. Minors are especially vulnerable to the physical and psychological consequences of prolonged detention, inadequate nutrition and restricted access to medical treatment.
Concerns Over Detention Without Charges
The report also refers to several teenagers with American backgrounds who are said to have been detained by Israeli authorities. They include Mohammad Ibrahim, a resident of Florida, 18-year-old Abdalkarim Issa Ahmed Safi and 16-year-old Adam Waziz Karakara.
According to the Palestinian Prisoners Society, some of these teenagers were taken from their homes at night or remained in detention after bail was revoked, without charges being brought against them. The report does not provide a detailed account of the legal circumstances surrounding each individual case.
The allegations underline broader concerns about the legal safeguards available to minors in detention. Establishing the precise circumstances of each case would require access to court records, official explanations and independent verification.
Calls for International Intervention
The Palestinian Prisoners Society has called on the international community to press for the release of children it considers to have been detained unlawfully, an end to alleged abuse and independent investigations into reported violations inside Israeli prisons.
International humanitarian and human rights law provide special protections for children, including safeguards against torture and other forms of cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment. Where children are deprived of their liberty, their treatment, access to healthcare and legal protections remain critical concerns. Any allegations of abuse require impartial investigation and appropriate accountability.
The scale of detention across the occupied territories adds to the concerns. According to the report, Israeli forces have detained more than 25,000 Palestinians in the West Bank since October 2023, alongside thousands of others in Gaza.
The figures illustrate the extensive scale of arrests during the period, although the exact number of children detained in Gaza remains uncertain. The Palestinian Prisoners Society’s findings also highlight the difficulties faced by families trying to establish the whereabouts and legal status of relatives held in custody.
Greater transparency over detention records, access to independent monitoring and reliable information about the condition of detainees would help clarify the extent of the reported abuses. For the children currently being held, access to appropriate medical care, protection from mistreatment and a fair legal process remain central concerns.
