The Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs has condemned Israel’s treatment of child prisoners in Megiddo Prison, reporting daily abuse that includes beatings, solitary confinement, sexual harassment and the denial of family visits.

According to the Commission, detained minors are kept in bare cells under harsh isolation, forced to attend visits blindfolded, shackled hand and foot, and often prevented from properly holding the phone to speak with their families. Legal teams say requests to remove these restraints have been rejected.

Cells where the children are held are described as filthy, infested with insects, and lacking both light and ventilation, in flagrant violation of international standards on the rights of children and detainees. The Commission stressed that these measures mirror the retaliatory punishments imposed on adult prisoners since the start of Israel’s assault on Gaza.

As of August 2025, more than 450 Palestinian children remain in Israeli prisons, among over 10,800 detainees held, excluding those in military camps. Rights groups warn that such conditions amount to systematic abuse designed to break the spirit of a generation living under occupation.