🔺On The occasion of the International Children’s Day 

 

🔺The conditions of Palestinian children in Israeli prisons 

 

Issued by the Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Society Prisoner’s on the International Children’s Day 

 

Ramallah 

 

The Commission of Detainees’ Affairs and the Palestinian Society Prisoner’s Club said on the occasion of International Children’s Day, marking November 20 of each year, that the Israeli occupation continues implementing systematic detention campaigns against Palestinian children in the West Bank, which became the most prominent and firm policies to target children, besides to killing thousands of children in the genocide taking place against Gaza Strip.

 

Detention campaigns were escalated since the beginning of the year, especially after October 7 , where more than (880) arrest cases have been recorded against children, including those who still under arrest and released ones. (145) arrest cases against children have been recorded throughout October.

 

It is worth noting that there are currently more than (200) children held in Israeli prisons ( Ofer, Megiddo and Damoun) , including (26) children sentenced to administrative detention.

 

The Commission and the Prisoner’s Club added that the high rate of children detention reflected the continuity and escalation in using this policy, and also reflected the level of crimes and flagrant violations committed against them.

 

After the 7th of October 

 

The Israeli occupation forces continued targeting children through detention operations, where (145) cases have been recorded, with the highest rate in Jerusalem. The majority of them get released under conditions, such as house custody, which is the most dangerous policy committed against them. Children detention also afflicted girls, where the Israeli forces opened fire on the injured girl Aseel Shehadeh, 17, at Qalandia military checkpoint. She is currently held in Ramla prison in very difficult conditions.

 

Children detention cases are concentrated in villages, refugee camps and areas close to military places and settlements.

 

Detainees’ institutions documented many cases for children who have been used as hostages, to force their relatives surrender themselves. A case in point is holding a three-year-old child from Bait Liqia/ Ramallah, to force his father surrender himself.

 

Many families reflected to psychological effects on children, not only those who got arrested, but also who were present during detention operations, where the Israeli authorities tended to explode doors during incursions and beat family members in front of them.

 

Regarding the conditions of children detainees, all of them are subjected to retaliatory and abusive measures imposed on detainees after the 7th of October. Moreover, the brutal conditions affected the basic life elements ( food, water, electricity and medical treatment).

According to testimonies of released detainees, adult detainees were forced to fast in order to provide their shares for children.

 

It is worth mentioning that the Israeli occupation forces demolished the house of the child Muhammad Zalbani, from Jerusalem, in 8/11/2023. He was injured during arrest in 13/2/2023. 

Another case in point is the child Nufouth Hammad ,16, from Jerusalem, who was sentenced to 12 years of imprisonment in addition to a fine of 50.000 ILS.

 

*The crime of administrative detention 

 

The Israeli occupation escalated using the administrative detention against children since two years, where (26) children have been sentenced to administrative detention. Some of them were subjected to gunfire and imprisoned despite their injuries. Their ages ranging between (16-17).