Israel holds 370 Palestinian children in its prisons: report

Around 370 Palestinian children are currently held in Israeli prisons, most of them in Megiddo and Ofer, according to a 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.

Israeli forces detained 276 Palestinian children during the first six months of 2026, according to the report.

The group said Israel’s detention of Palestinian children had become a recurring feature of arrest campaigns across the occupied West Bank and occupied East Jerusalem, rather than being limited to isolated cases.

The report also highlighted 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 organisations have repeatedly accused Israeli authorities of subjecting detainees, including minors, to harsh conditions and denying them adequate food and medical care.