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More than 350 Palestinian children were being held in Israeli prisons at the end of 2025, according to data cited by rights groups, with many detained without a formal charge and subjected to harsh conditions, advocacy organizations and testimonies indicate.

A total of 351 Palestinian minors were in Israeli custody as of December 31, 2025, according to figures from the Israeli Prison Service (IPS) cited by Save the Children. Of those, 180, or 51 percent, were held under “administrative detention” – a practice that allows imprisonment without charge or trial.

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Rights groups say the conditions surrounding these detentions raise serious concerns. According to Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCIP), most detained children report being arrested during nighttime raids, blindfolded, bound, strip-searched, and subjected to physical and verbal assault.

“They are often taken from their homes without being able to access lawyers, without being able to speak to their parents,” Alexandra Saieh, Head of Global Strategic Influencing and Policy at Save the Children, told Al Arabiya English.

“From the initial arrest through detention, children face abuse, violence, in some cases even torture.”

Saieh added that Palestinian minors are “the only children in the world that are systematically prosecuted in military courts,” where, she said, “their rights are absolutely not being respected.”

Detainees describe abuse during detention

Several detainees reported experiencing or witnessing sexual violence, forced stripping, and beatings, while others described being subjected to electric shocks in interrogation facilities. One detainee reportedly recounted being held in a room known as the “disco room,” where loud music was played continuously while he was deprived of food, water, and access to a toilet.

“For six days I was given only a bottle cap of water a day … I was beaten nonstop and occasionally given electric shocks,” the detainee said, describing conditions that left him injured and bleeding, according to a testimonial published in a January 2026 report by Israeli human rights group B’Tselem.

Such accounts are consistent with broader findings by DCIP, which says children are frequently interrogated without a lawyer or family member present.

The issue has gained further attention following the death of 17-year-old Walid Ahmad, who became the first known Palestinian minor to die in Israeli custody since October 2023, according to DCIP.

An autopsy indicated he likely died from “extreme, likely prolonged malnutrition,” dehydration caused by illness, and complications worsened by a lack of medical care. He collapsed in the prison yard and died on March 22, 2025, in Megiddo prison, the group said.

Israeli authorities have consistently denied allegations of abuse, stating their actions comply with international law, but these claims are contradicted by the actions of the government’s own officials.

In November 2025, Ben-Gvir filmed himself next to bound Palestinian prisoners lying face down, where he appeared to boast about harsh detention conditions while calling for the death penalty for “terrorists.”

On March 30, 2026, the Israeli Knesset passed a law authorizing the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of “terrorism-related” murder. A UN committee called it “a severe blow to human rights.”

Administrative detention

Administrative detention remains a widely used tool, particularly in the occupied West Bank, according to Save the Children. Under this system, detainees can be held for up to six months without being formally charged and without knowing the accusations against them.

“In some cases, formal charges are never brought up against them,” Saieh said. “Children can be detained for up to six months without ever knowing what they’re being detained for.”

The most common allegation against minors, according to the organization, is stone-throwing, which can carry sentences of up to 20 years. Children between the ages of 14 and 17 make up the majority of those detained.

“These are not just numbers. This is complete devastation in Palestinian communities,” Saieh said.

Long-term impact

Advocacy groups warn that the effects of detention extend well beyond release.

Children often struggle to reintegrate into their communities, suffering from anxiety, nightmares, difficulty concentrating in school, and social isolation.

“The experience in these detention centers impacts them often for life. It’s incredibly traumatic,” Saieh said.

She added that conditions have worsened since October 2023, with increased reports of hunger, violence, and abuse.

The Israeli Prison Service did not respond to multiple requests for comment sent via email.

Read more:

Palestinian journalists cite ‘systematic abuse’ in Israeli prisons: CPJ

Israel’s death penalty law perpetuates racial discrimination: UN watchdog