On Palestinian Children’s Day, the Palestinian Center for Prisoners Advocacy documents the presence of approximately 350 Palestinian children in Israeli prisons, amid ongoing arrest campaigns that increasingly and directly target children across various Palestinian areas.
The targeting of children and the continued arrests are no longer linked to exceptional circumstances; rather, they have become part of a clear on-the-ground policy by Israeli forces. This includes pursuit, night arrests, live fire, and field detention, leading to their transfer to interrogation centers, within a context that affects an age group that is supposed to be protected under international law.
The arrest of these children is carried out through violent raids, accompanied by physical assault and intimidation, before they are subjected to interrogation. During this process, they are exposed to harsh pressure methods, including prolonged interrogation, isolation, threats, and deprivation of the presence of a lawyer or a family member during the initial stages of questioning.
Children in prisons are also subjected to abuse and ill-treatment, including beatings, medical neglect, and detention in conditions unsuitable for their age, in an environment lacking basic needs specific to children.
Over previous years, cases have also been documented in which child prisoners were subjected to moral and security coercion during interrogation, through blackmail and psychological pressure, aimed at extracting confessions or coercing them into cooperating with Israeli security services.
These practices constitute a clear violation of the Convention on the Rights of the Child (1989), which stipulates the protection of children from arbitrary arrest and guarantees their treatment in a manner consistent with their age and dignity, while prohibiting torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment.
They also contradict Article 37 of the Convention, which states that the detention of children should be used only as a last resort and for the shortest possible time, as well as Article 40, which guarantees a child’s right to a fair trial and juvenile justice standards.
In addition, these violations contravene the provisions of the Geneva Conventions, which require special protection for children in conflict zones.
What is happening to child prisoners comes within an ongoing policy targeting children through arrest and treatment inside prisons, which necessitates urgent and genuine international action to secure their release and to stop the policies and violations carried out by the Israeli occupation against them.
Palestinian Center for Prisoners Advocacy
Sunday, April 5, 2026
