Prisoners' affairs: Israel holds 24 Gazan Children at Megiddo Prison

(MENAFN) On Sunday, prisoners' affairs groups disclosed that approximately 24 Palestinian children from the Gaza Strip are currently being detained by Israel at Megiddo Prison.

“Around 94 children are held at the prison in northern Israel, including 24 from Gaza,” the Commission of Detainees' Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners Society stated in a shared declaration.

As per the statement, Israeli authorities currently detain approximately 200 Palestinian children, with over 40 of them being held without charge or trial under Israel's controversial administrative detention policy.

“Prison authorities continue to impose punitive measures against child prisoners similar to those taken against adult detainees since Oct. 7,” The statement further noted that children detained in Israeli prisons were denied the opportunity for family visits.

Since an October 7 cross-border attack led by Palestinian group Hamas, Israel has initiated a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip. The conflict has resulted in the deaths of approximately 1,200 Israelis. In response, over 32,200 Palestinians have been killed and more than 74,500 injured, amidst widespread destruction and shortages of essential resources.

As a result of the Israeli offensive, 85% of Gaza's population has been displaced internally, facing severe shortages of food, clean water, and medicine. Additionally, approximately 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been either damaged or completely destroyed, according to reports from the United Nations.

Accusations of genocide have been directed at Israel, leading to legal proceedings at the International Court of Justice. In an interim ruling issued in January, the court ordered Tel Aviv to cease genocidal actions and to implement measures ensuring the provision of humanitarian assistance to civilians in Gaza.

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