Palestinian Minors in Megiddo Prison Facing Hunger, Illness, and Abuse
Palestinian Minors in Megiddo Prison Facing Hunger, Illness, and Abuse
The Commission of Detainees’ Affairs has issued a stark warning regarding the inhumane conditions endured by child detainees in the Israel’s Megiddo Prison.
According to the Commission’s latest report, these minors are subjected to ongoing collective punishment, harsh living conditions, and gross medical neglect. Daily life is marked by poor-quality food, inadequate portions, and the total absence of basic hygiene products.
One of the detainees, Jihad Maher Hijaz (15 years old) from Al-Mazra’a Al-Sharqiya/ Ramallah, shared his recent experience. He described how, about a month ago, he was violently assaulted by a prison guard who struck him in the chest, leaving him with severe pain and a fractured rib.
“It felt like the bone was pushed out of place from the force of the beating. I never received any medical care, and to this day I don’t know if it has healed.”
Hijaz has been in custody since February 15, 2025, without sentencing, and is awaiting a court hearing on July 7, 2025.
Another detainee, Aws Mohammad Theeb, 19, from the town of Silwad, has reportedly lost more than 30 kilograms due to severe food deprivation. He is also suffering from scabies, yet remains untreated. Theeb was detained on September 30, 2024, and is scheduled to appear in court on June 4, 2025.
Further testimony came from Ali Tareq Abdullah Thiab, 18, from Kafr Aqab, who has been imprisoned since May 5, 2024, under administrative detention, which has been renewed three times without formal charges. He described widespread hunger among detainees:
“Food is scarce and never enough. We’ve all lost significant weight. Most days we fast just to save our three small meals and eat them together in hopes of feeling even slightly full. We're not living, we're surviving.”
The Commission is calling for immediate international intervention to end the suffering of these minors and to hold the Israeli prison authorities accountable for systematic violations of children’s rights under international law.
