Across Palestinian communities, dozens of children are growing up without their mothers, separated not by choice but by prolonged imprisonment that has stripped families of the most basic bonds. With visits suspended for more than two years, these children have been denied maternal care and reassurance, a reality that has deepened during the ongoing genocidal war and reshaped everyday life far beyond prison walls.

Rights monitors say more than fifty Palestinian women remain imprisoned, including over twenty mothers with children of varying ages. Some left behind infants who require constant care, a role that relatives cannot realistically replace. The prolonged ban on visits has meant mothers are unable even to check on their children’s wellbeing, heightening anxiety on both sides. Inside prison, women describe an unrelenting sense of fear for children under ten, particularly toddlers who depend almost entirely on their mothers’ presence.

The situation has been compounded by reports of pregnant women being detained, with some forced to give birth while incarcerated under harsh conditions and without family support. In one recent case, a woman delivered her child inside prison after being arrested while pregnant, rendering the newborn effectively a prisoner from birth. Others include mothers battling serious illnesses such as cancer, amid growing concern that medical neglect places their lives at risk.

Since October 2023, hundreds of women have been detained across the West Bank and Jerusalem, many on loosely defined accusations that enable night-time arrests carried out in front of children. Former detainees and legal advocates describe a regime marked by deprivation, isolation, starvation and routine humiliation, with limited access to healthcare and repeated cell raids. International institutions tasked with protecting women’s rights have, critics argue, failed to intervene meaningfully.

As the genocidal war continues, families insist that the harm inflicted by these practices will outlast any immediate political moment. They are calling for urgent international action to end the detention of women and mothers, restore contact with their children, and hold accountable those responsible for policies that sever families and place an entire generation at risk.