Number of Palestinian children detained by Israel without trial nearly doubles in a year
JERUSALEM: The number of Palestinian children held by Israel without charge or trial has nearly doubled in just over a year, according to prison data obtained by the Israeli human rights organization Parents Against Child Detention. Dozens have been detained for more than 12 months.
The figures reveal that 191 Palestinian minors were held in administrative detention in March this year, compared with 103 in January 2025, the Times of Israel reported.
The number subjected to prolonged detention increased more than eightfold; 50 Palestinian minors had been held under administrative detention for more than a year by March, compared with six 12 months earlier.
Administrative detention orders allow Israeli authorities to incarcerate individuals without filing charges or bringing them to trial. The orders can be renewed repeatedly, and evidence used to justify detention can be withheld from detainees and their lawyers on security grounds. Israel says this is necessary in some cases to prevent serious and immediate security threats because revealing intelligence could compromise sources or operations.
