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 - July 2021

Detention figures – According to data issued quarterly by the Israeli Prison Service (IPS), as of 30 June 2021, there were 4,756 Palestinians (West Bank, East Jerusalem, Gaza) held as “security prisoners” in detention facilities including 170 children (12-17 years). In the case of children there was a 6% increase in the number compared with the previous month and an annual decrease of 11% compared with 2020. Less than 5 children were held in administrative detention. According to the IPS, 69% of child detainees were forcibly transferred and/or unlawfully detained in Israel in June in violation of Article 76 of the Fourth Geneva Convention and Article 8 of the Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court. More statistics

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Evidence update: physical abuse - In 2013 UNICEF issued a report after reviewing the treatment of Palestinian children held in Israeli military detention and concluded that “the ill-treatment of children who come in contact with [Israel’s] military detention system appears to be widespread, systematic and institutionalized throughout the process." Following the release of the report Israel's Ministry of Foreign Affairs stated that it would work to implement the 38 recommendations through on-going cooperation with UNICEF. Currently reports of physical abuse are at an 8-year high with 73 percent of children reporting some form of ill-treatment such as: punching, slapping, kicking, striking with objects and solitary confinement. Read more

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A child's testimony - On 7 April 2021, a 16-year-old minor from Beit Ummar was arrested by Israeli soldiers at 1:30 a.m. He reports being informed of his right to silence and consulting with a lawyer. He also reports being held in solitary confinement for 18 days. " I had a painful back injury which was keeping me awake.  At around 1:30 a.m. I heard banging and heavy footsteps. I looked out the window and saw about 30 Israeli soldiers running towards our house. They banged the door downstairs and told my father he had five seconds to open or else they were going to break it open. My father rushed downstairs and opened the door. About 15 soldiers entered our home and asked my father for our names." Read more 

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A soldier’s testimony: "Like prisoners in a giant jail" - In this video a former Israeli soldier provides a testimony to Breaking the Silence describing what methods are used to demonstrate presence. "I know about patrolling from missions in Hebron. The aim of this mission is to ... keep things as quiet as possible and to do that or to break - psychologically break - the people who live there or create an element of fear, the IDF would send soldiers, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week in groups to patrol ... and it seems to be very important not to let people feel they are not being watched. Make them know they are being watched all the time. To produce such a feeling you, as a soldier on patrol constantly walk around from street to street." Video

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889 Testimonies                                       MCW Annual Report (2020)                                     Videos