More than half of the Palestinian children detained in Israeli prisons at the end of last year were being held without charge or trial, according to Defense for Children International-Palestine (DCIP). In a statement released Wednesday, DCIP said 51 percent of 351 detained Palestinian children were under “administrative detention” as of December 31, 2025, marking the highest number and proportion since the group began tracking such data in 2008. The figures, based on Israel Prison Service statistics, exclude children held in military detention and interrogation centers.

DCIP said it has collected firsthand testimonies from previously detained children describing systematic torture and dehumanizing conditions. The organization linked the rise in detentions to Israel’s ongoing war in the Gaza Strip, which began in October 2023. Administrative detention allows Israel to hold Palestinians without charge or trial for renewable six-month periods. Another advocacy group, Addameer, reported that over a third of 9,500 Palestinians detained as of March 11 were held under this policy.

Human rights organizations, including Israel’s B’Tselem, have accused Israeli authorities of systemic abuse and torture in detention facilities. DCIP said such practices violate the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child, which Israel has ratified.