370 Palestinian children held in Israeli prisons: Report

Most child detainees held in Megiddo and Ofer prisons, says Palestinian prisoners’ rights group

Around 370 Palestinian children are being held in Israeli prisons, most of them in Megiddo and Ofer, according to a new report by the Palestinian Center for Prisoners’ Advocacy. The children are among more than 9,400 Palestinian prisoners and detainees held by Israel as of early August, the rights group said. The report said Israel’s detention of Palestinian children was no longer limited to isolated cases but had become a recurrent feature of arrest campaigns across the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem. Israeli forces detained 276 Palestinian children during the first six months of this year alone, it added. The group also drew attention to Israel’s continued use of administrative detention, which allows Palestinians to be held without charge or trial for renewable periods based on undisclosed evidence. Palestinian and international rights organizations have repeatedly accused Israeli authorities of subjecting detainees, including minors, to harsh conditions and denying them adequate food and medical care.