Save the Children: Palestinian children endure beatings, sexual abuse in Israeli prisons

Palestinian children detained in “Israeli” prisons are facing severe conditions, including hunger, physical violence, sexual abuse, and the spread of infectious diseases such as scabies, according to a recent report by Save the Children.

On July 19, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) ruled that “Israel's” ongoing presence in the occupied Palestinian territories is illegal, amplifying concerns about “Israeli” practices related to the detention of Palestinian minors. 

Save the Children emphasized that this ruling underscores the urgent need for an immediate halt to the detention and mistreatment of Palestinian children, which poses a serious threat to child protection.

The report highlights that “Israel” is the only entity worldwide that systematically prosecutes children in military courts. 

Since October, Save the Children has supported around 49 children detained in Gaza. 

These children reported being subjected to physical assaults and harsh interrogations. Some claimed they were forced to strip and endure extreme temperatures. 

Their parents were often unaware of their whereabouts during detention, and upon release, the children exhibited signs of severe abuse, including bruises, psychological trauma, and significant weight loss.

Reports from the children include allegations of sexual assault, harassment, and severe beatings, despite international laws prohibiting torture and cruel treatment of minors.

The Ministry of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, which supports prisoners and was established in 1998, reported that over 650 children from the West Bank and an unknown number from Gaza have been detained since October, as per UN reports. 

Currently, about 250 children remain in custody, often charged with stone-throwing, a crime that can lead to a 20-year prison sentence.

Save the Children interviewed Firas and Qusai, both 17-years-old from the West Bank, who were detained in various “Israeli” prisons before the recent war and released at the end of 2023. 

Qusai described witnessing a child with severe head injuries from beatings who would lose consciousness when trying to stand. 

He noted that newly detained children were as young as 12 and 13, and recounted how the younger ones were terrified and cried continuously. Attempts to care for them led to severe beatings by prison guards.

The Ministry attributed the spread of infectious skin diseases among prisoners to a lack of hygiene supplies and shared bedding. 

Firas reported using a lighter to burn lice, while Qusai was released covered in lice bites. 

Qusai recounted harsh conditions during winter, where prisoners were deprived of adequate blankets and subjected to cold by having windows left open. 

Requests for medical care or basic comfort for seriously ill children were met with indifference or harsh responses from guards.

Hebrew media reports indicate that the recent surge in mass arrests has led to severe overcrowding in “Israeli” prisons, with increasing reports of mistreatment, including denial of medical care and confinement in cages. 

Firas observed a significant rise in detained children shortly after October 7. Both he and Qusay noted a dramatic deterioration in detention conditions following the onset of the war. They were also not permitted to contact or see their families.

Firas described the pre-war prison conditions as relatively better compared to the current situation, and both children expressed ongoing trauma and fear of re-arrest. 

Psychologists warn that released children are struggling to cope with their experiences and the constant anxiety about potential re-arrest.