ICSPR Issues a Fact Sheet Titled “Childhood in Shackles” on the Situation of Child Prisoners in Israeli Occupation Prisons
Date: 6 April 2026
Press Release
ICSPR Issues a Fact Sheet Titled: “Childhood in Shackles” on the Situation of Child Prisoners in Israeli Occupation Prisons
The International Commission to Support Palestinian People’s Rights – ICSPR issued a fact sheet titled: “Childhood in Shackles: Child Prisoners in Israeli Occupation Prisons… A Cry for Justice on Palestinian Child Day,” prepared by lawyer Reem Mansour, highlighting the tragic reality endured by Palestinian children inside Israeli occupation prisons and the grave violations affecting their childhood and fundamental rights.
The paper affirmed that the issue of child prisoners is no longer merely a matter of detention cases, but has become a systematic policy aimed at breaking the will of the Palestinian generation through arbitrary detention, torture, and deprivation of fair trial guarantees, amid international silence that contributes to entrenching the policy of impunity.
The paper reviewed the international legal framework governing children’s rights, noting that the Convention on the Rights of the Child of 1989, the Fourth Geneva Convention of 1949, and the Convention against Torture and Other Cruel, Inhuman or Degrading Treatment or Punishment of 1984 all affirm the necessity of protecting children, prohibit their exposure to torture or arbitrary detention, and require fair trials that take their age and needs into account, all of which are being flagrantly violated in the case of Palestinian children.
The paper also demonstrated, through figures, the scale of the catastrophe, noting that the occupation authorities are holding around 350 Palestinian children, most of them without trial, among approximately 9,250 Palestinian prisoners, including thousands of administrative detainees. It further stated that more than 20,500 arrests were recorded during the two years of war on Gaza, including 1,630 children, which constitutes a dangerous indicator of the escalating targeting of children.
The paper documented the harsh detention conditions suffered by children, including deprivation of food and medical care, exposure to beating and torture, solitary confinement, violent night arrests, threats and humiliation, and the absence of legal guarantees during interrogation, including deprivation of access to a lawyer or a family member.
It also shed light on systematic policies such as administrative detention, house arrest, deliberate medical neglect, as well as the crime of enforced disappearance of children from the Gaza Strip, where they are held in undisclosed centers without revealing their fate, in addition to extracting confessions from them under coercion.
The paper pointed to the deep psychological effects caused by these violations, noting that imprisoned and released children suffer from severe psychological disorders, including anxiety, depression, and post-traumatic stress disorder, in addition to difficulties in social and educational reintegration.
In its conclusion, ICSPR stressed that the continuation of these violations amid the absence of international accountability constitutes a serious threat to the human rights system, calling on the international community to assume its legal and moral responsibilities to stop these crimes.
The Commission called for a number of demands, most notably:
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The immediate and unconditional release of all child prisoners.
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An end to the policy of administrative detention against children.
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Ensuring fair trials and respect for international standards.
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Ending torture and ill-treatment and holding those responsible accountable.
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Enabling children to communicate with their families and guaranteeing their right to education and healthcare.
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Opening independent international investigations into the violations committed against them.
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Accelerating accountability procedures before the International Criminal Court.
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Providing psychological and social support programs for the rehabilitation and reintegration of children into society.
ICSPR emphasized that protecting Palestinian children constitutes an urgent humanitarian and legal priority that requires immediate international action to end their suffering and guarantee their rights.
