Detention figures – According to data issued quarterly by the Israeli Prison Service (IPS), as of 30 September 2023, there were 5,105 Palestinians (West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza) held as “security prisoners” in detention facilities including 156 children (12-17 years) (154 boys/2 girls). In the case of children there was a 5 percent decrease in the number compared with the previous month and an annual increase of 15 percent compared with 2022. Twenty-three children were held in administrative detention without charge or trial - the highest number since January 2008. According to the IPS, 68 percent of child detainees and 75 percent of adult detainees were unlawfully transferred from the occupied West Bank to prisons inside Israel in September in violation of the Fourth Geneva Convention and the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. More statistics
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Military courts / detention update - Since 7 October 2023, proceedings in the military courts are limited to remand hearings and review of administrative detention orders. Other hearings have been suspended. Proceedings are conducted by video link in the absence of family members. Prisons are in "lock-down" mode. This includes: no family visits or phone communication; limited shower time; no access to outdoor areas; no radio or television; no electrical appliances; restricted rations; frequent intrusive searches; removal of some personal items including clothing; no access to the canteen; and overcrowding. On 25 October, Israeli organisations petitioned the High Court over conditions including: denial of prompt access to lawyers; disconnection of electricity and water; denial of access to medical treatment; and reports of severe violence. Reports suggest that around 2,500 arrests have been made in the occupied West Bank since 7 October 2023. __________________________________________________________________________________
A child's testimony - On 8 August 2023, a 16-year-old minor from Qaryout, in the occupied West Bank, was served with a written summons at the border after returning from Jordan. The material parts of the summons were written in Hebrew. The following day he went with his father to the Israeli police station inside the settlement of Binyamin, as required under the summons. He was separated from his father and interrogated. He reports briefly consulting with a lawyer by phone prior to interrogation but not being informed of his right to silence by the interrogator. After interrogation he was taken to Ofer prison, near Jerusalem. The following day he appeared in Ofer military court. He reports not understanding the proceedings as there was no translation. He was released on bail of NIS 2,200 on 10 August 2023. Read more__________________________________________________________________________________
1,095 Testimonies MCW Annual Report (2022) Two Kids a Day (Trailer)
