Detention figures
End of December 2023:

Security Prisoners

Adults: 8,171
Children: 137
Total: 8,308

Percentage held in Israel:

Adults: 74%
Children: 49%

Administrative Detention

Adults: 3,239
Children: 49
Total: 3,288

 
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Newsletter - October 2020

Detention figures – According to the Israeli Prison Service (IPS), as of 30 September 2020 there were 4,184 Palestinians (West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza) held as “security prisoners” in detention facilities including 157 children (12-17 years). In the case of children there was a 3% increase in the number compared with the previous month and an annual decrease of 16% compared with 2019. Two children are currently held in administrative detention. According to the IPS, 73% of child detainees were forcibly transferred and/or unlawfully detained in Israel in September in violation of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. More statistics 

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Evidence update: Blindfolds – Evidence collected by Military Court Watch (MCW) indicates that the use of blindfolds on children is now more prevalent than it was in 2013. So far in 2020, 96 percent of children detained report being blindfolded. It is unclear from the evidence how blindfolding these children, who are already handcuffed and securely held in the back of a military vehicles or in military bases, enhances the protection of armed soldiers or reduces the likelihood of escape. However, the evidence does suggest that blindfolding children effectively “softens them up” for interrogation making it easier to obtain a confession. Read more

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A child’s testimony –  On 1 August 2020, a 17-year-old minor from Yabad was arrested by Israeli soldiers at 6:00 p.m. He reports initially being questioned by soldiers without first being informed of his legal rights.  He later spoke to a lawyer prior to a formal interrogation. “There were clashes with Israeli soldiers on the main road at around. A large group of soldiers chased me and my friends. They shot in my direction and shouted at us to stop. I was terrified. A soldier grabbed me, pushed me to the ground and swore at me. They made me sit on the ground for about 30 minutes. During this time a soldier blindfolded me and tied my hands.” Read more

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A soldier’s video testimony: Home incursions – In this video a former Israeli soldier provides a testimony to Breaking the Silence describing how they enter Palestinian homes during routine patrols and search operations. “As a combat soldier, you often find yourself going into homes of Palestinians; regular civilians, leading normal lives and for odd reasons you have to enter their homes at odd hours. One of the ways you find yourself inside a Palestinian home is during such a patrol. An ordinary, routine patrol in an Arab neighborhood. The reason for entering the houses is what we call, in the army, a demonstration of presence.” Watch video

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814 Testimonies                                       MCW Annual Report (2020)                                        Videos