The key facts

  • According to the Palestinian Prisoners' Society report, more than 2,000 Palestinian children have been detained since October 2023; at least 350 are currently in Israeli prisons.
  • The organization documents torture, starvation and denial of medical care; 17-year-old Walid Ahmad died in March 2025 after six months in Megiddo prison.
  • The report mentions three teenagers — US citizens — held in Israeli prisons without charges.

Report data

The Palestinian Prisoners' Society on Wednesday, October 15, published a report according to which Israeli forces have detained more than 2,000 Palestinian children since October 2023. According to the organization, at least 350 Palestinian children are currently held in Israeli prisons, and they are kept in harsh conditions. The report states that Israeli officials are intensifying targeted actions against Palestinian children. On Tuesday, at least six children were detained in the city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank.

Gaza Strip and detention conditions

The exact number of detained children in the Gaza Strip remains unknown. The organization attributes this to the disappearance and forcible concealment of thousands of people, including children. The report notes that detention without charges and without a set release date deprives children of stability in family life and education. According to the organization, cases of intimidation, torture, starvation and denial of medical care have been documented in Israeli prisons.

Cited cases

The report describes the case of 15-year-old Muhammad Hamid: while in Ofer prison, he contracted scabies, then developed severe infections, underwent heart surgery and was placed in intensive care in critical condition, after which one of his legs was amputated. It is also reported that 17-year-old Walid Ahmad died in March 2025 after six months of detention in Megiddo prison. In December of the same year, an Israeli judge closed the investigation into his death, stating that there was evidence of suffering from starvation, but the exact cause of death was never definitively established.

American teenagers in Israeli prisons

The report also provides information about teenagers — US citizens — held in Israeli prisons without charges. Muhammad Ibrahim, a Florida resident who was held with Walid Ahmad in Megiddo prison, was released after efforts by American organizations and high-ranking lawmakers. Abdul Kareem Issa Ahmad Safi was taken from his home in the West Bank in June during a night raid; after turning 18 in detention, he was transferred to the adult section of Ofer prison. In July, 16-year-old Adam Wajih Abdul Fattah Qaraqra was detained: after his family posted bail, his release was expected in August, but Israeli officials unexpectedly reversed that decision.

Calls and general context

The Palestinian Prisoners' Society called on the international community to take practical steps to free arbitrarily detained children, conduct investigations into violations, and end torture, starvation and denial of medical care. According to Al Jazeera data cited in the publication, since the start of the war in October 2023, Israel has detained more than 25,000 Palestinians in the West Bank and thousands more in the Gaza Strip.