On November 7, 2024, the Knesset approved legislation allowing for the detention of Palestinian children under the age of 14 in closed facilities, if they are convicted of murder involving "“terrorism or terrorist activities.” Upon turning 14, the child would be moved from the closed facility to a prison. The bill, which passed by a vote of 55 to 33, grants Israeli courts the power to sentence minors as young as 12 to imprisonment, including the possibility of life sentences for offenses like murder or attempted murder. Previously, the age limit for sentencing to prison was 14, with younger children commonly sentenced to house arrest instead (see Iron Caging the Palestinian Home: Child Home Arrest in Occupied East Jerusalem as Lawfare).

The law primarily impacts Palestinian citizens of Israel and permanent residents of East Jerusalem, as Palestinian children in the rest of the occupied West Bank have already faced similar measures.

According to the Knesset’s statement, the law also includes a provision allowing courts to incarcerate children in adult prisons, rather than juvenile facilities, for up to 10 days. This period can be extended if the child is “considered dangerous or a threat to others.”1

Human rights organizations, including the Adalah—the Legal Center for Arab Minority Rights in Israel, condemned the law, calling it a violation of international norms protecting children.

Adalah emphasized that the legislation could lead to the collective punishment of Palestinians, with Israel expanding its system of apartheid-like policies, which Adalah argues contravene both international law and basic human rights.2

In a related move, the Knesset also passed a law allowing the deportation of first-degree family members (parents, siblings, spouses) of so-called “terrorists,” with a focus on Palestinian citizens of Israel and Palestinian residents of East Jerusalem. Citizens would be deported for 7 to 15 years but be allowed to keep their citizenship; residents would be deported for 10 to 20 years. The law allows deportation of relatives of those who have even just “expressed support or identification” or have failed to report information about “an act of terrorism or a terrorist organization.”3

This law is backed by the ruling Likud party, a major Israeli right-wing political party. Specifically, member of the Knesset, Hanoch Milwidsky, would allow Israel to deport relatives to war-torn Gaza or other locations.

Another controversial measure was approved earlier last week, granting the Israeli Ministry of Education the authority to fire Palestinian teachers who express “support for acts of terrorism or violence” and to cut funding from schools where such expressions occur.4

The passage of these laws comes amid a broader crackdown on Palestinian rights and freedom, with human rights groups warning of an escalation in Israel’s treatment of Palestinians under the guise of counter-terrorism efforts.

The Palestinian Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs reported that approximately 460 children were detained in a five-month period, between October 7, 2023, and January 9,5 with the total number of Palestinians in Israeli jails reaching about 10,000—up from 5,250 before the outbreak of the war on Gaza in October of 2023.6

Despite numerous United Nations resolutions and international agreements prohibiting the detention of children, Israel continues to imprison Palestinian minors in Gaza and the occupied West Bank under harsh conditions.