Palestinian children face hunger, abuse and legal limbo in Israeli prisons

Palestinian children arrested since October 2023 total around 1,900, with 360 still behind bars, primarily in facilities like Megiddo Prison. Reports detail chronic food shortages, with guards limiting bread to four loaves for 13 prisoners, and frequent scabies outbreaks caused by overcrowding and poor sanitation. Families recount raids that involve beating and prolonged restraint, while the Israeli Supreme Court in September 2025 ruled the prison service had not supplied sufficient nutrition, a finding the ministry under Itamar Ben-Gvir rejects.

Cases such as Mohammed, arrested at 13 and sentenced to 18 years for a stabbing that led to a soldier’s death, and Ola Qatishat, detained for alleged incitement without disclosed charges, highlight the severity of the situation. Former detainees describe lasting psychological trauma and physical ailments after release. Human-rights groups and UN bodies have documented these abuses, questioning compliance with international safeguards for child detainees.