Detention figures – According to the Israeli Prison Service (IPS), as of 31 January 2015, there were 5,549 Palestinians (West Bank, East Jerusalem and Gaza) held as "security prisoners" in Israeli detention facilities including 163 children. In the case of children this represents an increase of 8 per cent compared with the previous month and an annual decrease of 13 per cent compared with 2014. According to the IPS, 42 per cent of Palestinian children and 90 per cent of adults continue to be detained in facilities inside Israel, in violation of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention. A further 1,779 Palestinians were held in IPS detention as "criminal prisoners" including 23 children. Criminal offences include entering Israel without a permit, most frequently in pursuit of work. More statistics

 

UNICEF update: reforms without change - On 13 February 2015, UNICEF issued its second update since the publication of its report – Children in Israeli Military Detention (March 2013). After reviewing over 400 sworn testimonies UNICEF’s conclusion in 2013 was that “the ill-treatment of children who come in contact with the military detention system appears to be widespread, systematic and institutionalized throughout the process.” According to UNICEF’s latest update, “reports of alleged ill-treatment of children during arrest, transfer, interrogation and detention have not significantly decreased in 2013 and 2014". This conclusion appears to be based, in part, on 208 affidavits gathered by the UN Working Group on Grave Violations against Children relating to minors detained between 2013 and September 2014. Read more

 

Procedures for parents accompanying children during interrogation - In November 2014, Israeli authorities responded to a Freedom of Information (FOI) application submitted by the Association of Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) regarding the procedures for permitting Palestinian parents to accompany their child during interrogations conducted by Israeli authorities in the West Bank. Although UNICEF has recommended that all Palestinian children detained by the Israeli military in the West Bank be accompanied by a parent throughout the interrogation process, the FOI response reveals that after two years the military authorities have not introduced any procedures to ensure that this occurs. Read more

 

Norwegian campaign on child detention - In response to a Norwegian campaign focusing on the treatment of children held in Israeli military detention, the Israeli Embassy in Oslo has circulated two documents relating to the issue. The first document was produced by The Legal Counseling and Legislation Department (International Law) of the Ministry of Justice, and the second document was produced by the Israeli army’s Military Advocate General Corps (MAG). The 13-page document produced by the Ministry of Justice confirms that the military justice system operating in the West Bank was established in accordance with the Geneva Conventions. Although it is correct that the only jurisdictional basis under international law for prosecuting civilians in military courts is to be found in the Fourth Geneva Convention … Read more

 

Testimony – On 4 February 2015, a 15-year-old boy from Dura is arrested by Israeli soldiers at 2.00 a.m. and accused of throwing stones. He is released later that day. “I was asleep and soldiers walked into my bedroom and woke me up. It was 2.00 a.m. I thought I was dreaming but then a soldier told me to get my birth certificate. Another soldier told me to get dressed because they were going to arrest me. They did not tell me why they were arresting me or where they were taking me. Soldiers took me out of the house and immediately tied my hands to the front with three plastic ties: one on each wrist and one connecting the two. The ties were not painful. They also blindfolded me with the scarf I was wearing.” Read more

+972mag - A pilot program by the Israeli army in order to lessen the number of Palestinian children arrested in nighttime raids has been suspended, according to Israel’s chief military prosecutor. The program was announced by Israel’s military authorities in February 2014, and called for issuing written summonses instead of arresting children during night raids in the West Bank. The announcement followed concerns raised in the UK, The Netherlands and Australia about the devastating impact of repeated nighttime incursions into Palestinian communities. In 2013, UNICEF published a report that graphically described these nighttime arrests as follows: Read more