Israel detained over 2,000 Palestinian children since 2023, report says

Detentions and prison conditions

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society reported that Israeli forces have detained more than 2,000 Palestinian children since October 2023. At least 350 children are currently held in Israeli prisons under what the group called harsh conditions.

On Tuesday, Israeli forces arrested at least six children in Hebron, in the occupied West Bank, according to the report. The organisation said detention without charges or a release date leaves children uncertain and undermines family and educational stability.

Allegations of mistreatment

The report describes practices ranging from intimidation and arrest to alleged torture, starvation and denial of healthcare. The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society called for international action to secure the release of children it considers arbitrarily detained, ensure investigations and end mistreatment in prisons.

The group’s appeal also called for an end to denial of treatment. It said investigations should be enforced, without providing further details on how that would be done.

Walid Ahmed’s death

The judge said there was evidence of starvation but that a definitive cause of death had not been established. Ahmed had been imprisoned with his friend Mohammed Ibrahim, a teenager from Florida, who was later released after advocacy by US-based organisations and appeals from high-ranking lawmakers.

Other young detainees

The report also described the detention of Abdalkareem Issa Ahmed Safi, whom Israeli forces reportedly took from his West Bank home during a late-night raid in June. He turned 18 while detained.

Authorities later transferred Safi from a youth holding area to an adult section at Ofer Prison. The article describes him as another young American held in an Israeli prison without charge.