Over half of minors in Israeli prisons placed in solitary confinement, most are Palestinians

A review of 2025 prison records indicates that 351 of 635 minors held in Israeli prisons were placed in solitary confinement at least once, representing over half of the juvenile detainee population. Most of those isolated are Palestinians, and the usual isolation period lasts seven consecutive days, occasionally extending to two weeks. The Israel Prison Service reported that 92% of the isolated minors had not yet received a sentence, including 176 awaiting the conclusion of legal proceedings and 115 detained without trial under Shin Bet administrative orders.

The figures, obtained through freedom-of-information requests by the Public Committee Against Torture in Israel and Parents Against Child Detention, reveal 666 separate instances of isolation, with 154 minors isolated more than once and 42 experiencing four to eight separate periods. Titi Carmel, director of Parents Against Child Detention, highlighted the particular concern over repeated isolation because of its potential psychological harm to children.