At least 350 Palestinian children are still in Israeli detention, says the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society

Based on a statement from the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society dated 14 October 2026, with inputs from AP, AFP, Reuters and UNICEF.

No school bells, no excitement of playing with friends, no comfort of their homes – for these children, childhood looks different. At least 350 Palestinian children remain confined to cells in Israeli detention, according to a new statement issued by the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society (PPS). This is the Palestinian advocacy group for prisoners held by Israel.

The statement said that Israeli forces have so far arrested more than 2,000 children in the West Bank and Jerusalem since October 2023. It said at least six children were arrested overnight on Tuesday 13 October, with arrests concentrated in the Hebron towns of Sa’ir and ash-Shuyukh.

UNICEF deputy executive director Hannan Sulieman told the UN Security Council on 11 August 2026 that 164 of the children, nearly half, were held under what is called "administrative detention".

Administrative detention lets Israel hold people without charge or trial. Orders last six months and can be renewed without a set limit.

Israel Prison Service data shows that administrative detention of Palestinian children has risen sharply. The figures were obtained by the Israeli rights group Parents Against Child Detention and reported by the Times of Israel on 7 August 2026. They show 191 Palestinian minors in administrative detention in March 2026, up from 103 in January 2025. According to the report, Israel states that administrative detention is needed to address urgent security threats.

The PPS says children held this way face an uncertain future. It says they lose family stability and access to education. It also says Israel’s top courts play a major role in the practice.

What the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society alleges

The PPS alleges that Israel’s treatment of Palestinian children ranges from intimidation and arrest to torture, starvation, isolation and denial of medical care. But Israel’s prison service has said in the past that it operates according to the law and that all prisoners are given basic rights.

The PPS pointed to the case of Walid Khaled Ahmad, who it said starved to death in Megiddo prison in March 2025. He was 17. AP reported that he had been held for about six months without charge. His family said he was arrested for allegedly throwing stones at soldiers.

The PPS said medical findings at the time showed severe emaciation and signs of malnutrition and dehydration. A doctor who observed the autopsy at the family’s request said starvation was likely the leading cause of death. The autopsy report itself did not state a cause.

An Israeli judge halted the investigation in December 2025, despite noted evidence of starvation but no definitive cause of death. The PPS said the closure raises serious questions about accountability.

At the time of his death, Israel’s prison service said a medical team helped him after the first report of his condition, and that an investigative team had been appointed.

The PPS also highlighted the case of Mohammed Hamid, 15. It said his health worsened after he contracted scabies in Ofer Prison. It said the condition developed into severe infections affecting vital organs.

According to the PPS, he needed heart surgery, was admitted to intensive care and later had a leg amputated. Palestinian news agency WAFA, reported in August that he had heart surgery on 27 July. The PPS said he remains under medical treatment nearly three months after that. It accused the prison system of releasing him only after his condition reached that stage, avoiding the cost of his treatment.

The PPS said the two cases are among hundreds involving the arrest of children. It said families also face added hardships after their children are released.

Background: Gaza and the West Bank

On 7 October 2023, a Hamas-led attack on Israel killed about 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw 251 people taken hostage. Israel launched a military offensive in Gaza in response.

More than 72,000 Palestinians had been killed in Gaza by February 2026, according to Gaza’s health ministry figures reported by the UN humanitarian office. The UN office said a ceasefire agreement began in October 2025. AFP reported on 10 October 2026 that Israel still carries out strikes in Gaza almost daily.

The West Bank is separate from Gaza. Israel captured the West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza in the 1967 Middle East war. The UN refers to the West Bank as occupied. UN deputy special coordinator Ramiz Alakbarov told the Security Council on 11 August 2026 that the West Bank was at “the breaking point”.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society called for international action to secure the release of children held arbitrarily. It urged an end to administrative detention and coercive interrogations. It also called for an end to torture, starvation and denial of medical treatment.

The group asked that families, lawyers and independent monitoring bodies be given access to detainees. It also called for independent and effective investigations.