346 child detainees in Israeli prisons

The Palestinian Ministry of Detainees and Liberated Detainees reported that there are currently 346 child detainees in Israeli prisons, including four underage females.

“29 percent of the under-aged detainees are suffering from different diseases, and deprived of their basic rights guaranteed by the international law,” the ministry reported.

Israeli soldiers arrested a child on June 28, 2005, after breaking into his father’s home at dawn. In addition to threatening to kill his family, they severely punched and clubbed him in front of his parents until he fainted.

The child was identified as Salah Ibrahim abu Rayya, 13, from al-Arroub refugee camp, in Hebron.

“When he was brought to court, he was so weak, and his clothes were torn and filled with blood,” Salah’s mother, Fathiyya, said. “When they broke into our home at dawn, they punched him and threatened to shoot him in front of us while conducting military searches.”

Salah’s lawyer said the youth told him that soldiers came to his room one morning and informed him that he would be executed.

“They told him to pray before he is executed, and as he started to pray while crying, then soldiers attacked him, and started hitting and punching him, until he fainted,” the lawyer added.

Fathiyya appealed to humanitarian organizations to interfere for the release of he child, who is suffering all sorts of humiliation and violations.

The Palestinian Prisoners Society reported that a child detainee identified as Nidal Jamal Sami, 13, from al-Arroub refugee camp, was threatened with rape if he doesn’t admit to charges against him.

“Child detainees are suffering very bad conditions, tortured, threatened, not provided with sufficient food, and placed in rooms that are filled with bugs and insects and lack proper ventilation”, the society reported.

Detainees are also deprived of medical care and medication and are not allowed to continue their education. 

Recent reports published by the Ministry of Detainees and Ex-Detainees revealed that most child detainees are from Nablus, Hebron and Bethlehem.