In Gaza and the West Bank, the detention of children by occupation forces has become a devastating, yet ongoing reality. Every year, hundreds of Palestinian minors, some as young as 10, are arrested, detained. The most common charge is stone-throwing, often in response to the occupation and its violent repercussions. However, these children face far more than legal punishment, they endure physical and psychological abuse that leaves indelible marks on their lives.

A System of Abuse: The Reality of Palestinian Child Detention

According to organisations such as Defence for Children International – Palestine (DCIP), the routine detention of Palestinian children by occupational forces is a severe violation of international law. The conditions under which these minors are held are both shocking and inhumane. Children are subjected to isolation, physical abuse, and psychological torment. Often for prolonged periods, with little regard for their well-being or rights. This system of abuse is not a series of isolated incidents but a part of a larger, systematic practice of oppression.

Degrading and Inhumane Conditions: Forced Strip Searches and Detention

The Story of Ibrahim and Omar

One particularly harrowing example of this is the story of two young cousins, Ibrahim Abu Ghali, aged seven, and Omar Mohammed Dirar Zaben aged 13. They were detained by occupation forces during a raid on their family home in the northern West Bank in March 2025. The occupation forces arrived in the early hours of the morning, shooting live rounds outside the house, trapping the family inside.

Ibrahim and Omar were forcibly stripped of their clothing, their hands bound with plastic ties, and they were made to stand outside in the cold for nearly an hour before being thrown into the back of a military vehicle. The boys traumatised and frightened, were taken to an occupation interrogation centre, where they endured further humiliation and abuse. For children as young as Ibrahim, who should be in the care and protection of their families, this experience was nothing short of torture.

The Deplorable Conditions of the Detention Centres

The conditions in the detention centres are harsh and often life-threatening. Palestinian children are routinely denied access to basic necessities such as food, clean water, and healthcare. They are subjected to overcrowded cells with insufficient ventilation, and the few meals they receive are often of poor quality, such as stale bread and mouldy food. In some cases, detainees have reported being forced to drink contaminated water, leading to illness and infections. The lack of proper hygiene facilities also means that these children are at constant risk of developing scabies and other skin diseases.

Psychological Torture: The Lasting Impact on Palestinian Children

Furthermore, these children are often forced into uncomfortable and degrading positions for hours on end. They are made to kneel for long periods, sometimes handcuffed and blindfolded, and denied the basic human dignity of sitting or lying down. The constant physical strain, combined with the psychological stress of their confinement, leads to lasting trauma, both mental and physical.

Mustafa’s story

In the quiet of the night, a young Palestinian boy named Mustafa lies awake. His body bruised and his mind scarred by the horrors endured. At just 16 years old, Mustafa’s life was irrevocably altered on January 24,2024. He was separated from his family at an occupational military checkpoint in Khan Younis. He was blindfolded, shackled, and taken away from his loved ones. For over a year, he suffered unimaginable hardship at the hands of the occupational forces.

Mustafa’s story is a heart wrenching reminder of the human cost of conflict, a young child subjected to violence and trauma that no one should ever experience. He was transported to a detention centre with more than 159 other detainees, where the brutality began. Beaten and tortured, Mustafas body bore the physical scares of this abuse.

The torment was not just physical. Shackled and blindfolded, he was deprived of sleep, made to endure painful conditions that stripped away his dignity. Food was scarce, and when it arrived, it was often mouldy and inedible. The water was dirty, and he had no choice but to drink it, despite its foulness. After months of this suffering Mustafa was transferred to another facility where conditions only worsened. He was placed in a cell with other children’s many of whom had experienced similar trauma.

Life in this new place was no better, there was little food and the children were subjected to harsh treatment. Mustafa’s health deteriorated as he suffered from malnutrition and untreated illnesses yet his cries for help went unheard. 

The Release

Finally, on February 28 2025 Mustafa was released but his physical release did not mark the end of his suffering. The trauma he endured continued to haunt him as he struggled with nightmares and anxiety. His body weakened by the lack of care still bore the marks of this ordeal. Mustafa’s story is not an isolated one many Palestinians children face similar suffering, their rights violated in ways that contradict the basic principles of humanity. The world cannot remain indifferent to such cruelty.

Every child deserves to grow up free from fear and violence yet countless children like Mustafa’s are denied this right the international community must take action to hold those responsible accountable. Mustafa’s voice, through silenced for too long now calls on us to speak up to demand justice and to protect innocent lives. How many more children make suffer before the world responds? 

The Impact on Mental Health: Nightmares and PTSD

In addition to the dire physical conditions, many Palestinian children are subjected to psychological torture. During interrogations, they are often threatened with further violence or the arrest of their family members if they do not comply with demands. The trauma of these experiences is not easily erased, and many of the children are left to cope with severe anxiety, nightmares, and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) long after their release.

A Broken Military Court System: Denied Justice and Fair Trials

The occupation’s military court system, which oversees the detention and prosecution of Palestinian children, is widely regarded as unjust and biased. Children are often denied the right to a fair trial, and many are coerced into signing confessions written in Hebrew, a language they may not understand. The courts fail to provide adequate legal safeguards, and children are often imprisoned without knowing the charges against them or having access to a lawyer.

International Law and the Rights of Children

Under international law, children are entitled to special protections, and their detention should only be used as a last resort. The Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Israel has ratified, explicitly prohibits the ill-treatment and torture of children, stating that the deprivation of liberty should only be used when absolutely necessary. Yet, occupational forces continue to arrest and detain Palestinian children in violation of these fundamental principles.

Violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention: Unlawful Transfer of Detainees

The Fourth Geneva Convention, to which Israel is a signatory, prohibits the transfer of prisoners, including children, to areas outside the occupied territory. However, Palestinian minors are often transferred to prisons inside Israel. A practice that not only violates international law but also exacerbates the suffering of these children. They are separated from their families and denied the ability to communicate with them.

The Need for Accountability

One of the most concerning aspects of the detention of Palestinian children is the lack of accountability. Despite widespread documentation of abuses, occupational authorities rarely hold their forces accountable for the mistreatment of Palestinian minors. Human rights organisations continue to call for an end to the arbitrary detention of children, but with little impact. The international community, while condemning these violations, has yet to take meaningful action to stop the abuse.

Systematic Oppression and Human Rights Violations

The widespread abuse of Palestinian children in detention centres is part of a larger pattern of systematic oppression and violence against Palestinians. It is a painful reminder of the ongoing human rights violations taking place under occupation. Every year, hundreds of children are subjected to horrific conditions. NO child should ever endure this, yet the world remains largely silent.

The Need for International Support

It is essential that the international community take a stand and demand an end to the detention and abuse of Palestinian children. No child should have to live in fear, endure torture, or suffer the trauma of being torn from their families. The occupation government must be held accountable for its treatment of Palestinian children. Urgent steps must be taken to ensure that children’s rights are respected. This is a Humanitarian Crisis That Requires Attention.

The plight of Palestinian child hostages demands our attention. It is not just a matter of politics; it is a matter of humanity. The children of Palestine deserve to grow up in peace and dignity, not in fear and suffering. It is our collective responsibility to ensure that their voices are heard and that their rights are upheld. The time to act is now.