The number of young children detained between the ages of 14 and 15 was 21. There were no children detained in the Israeli military court system under 14 years old.

Congressional briefing on Palestinian child detainees

DCIP participated in three days of advocacy in Washington in early June, including a congressional briefing on the widespread ill-treatment of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention.

The June 2 briefing on Capitol Hill drew over 100 attendees, including staff from at least 30 different congressional offices. Representative Keith Ellison (D-MN) gave opening remarks and speakers from the American Friends Service Committee, Human Rights Watch and DCIP discussed the systematic and widespread detention of Palestinian children in the Israeli military court system, calling upon Congress to take action. Read more.

U.S. lawmakers urge Obama administration to protect Palestinian kids

Nineteen members of Congress sent a letter to U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry on June 19 urging him to prioritize the issue of Palestinian children in Israeli military detention.

The letter, initiated by Representative Betty McCollum (D-MN), noted that “Israel's military detention system targeting children is an anomaly in the world,” and that UNICEF has found ill-treatment of Palestinian children is “widespread, systemic and institutionalized” throughout the detention process. The lawmakers urged “the Department of State to elevate the human rights of Palestinian children to a priority status in [the U.S.’s] bilateral relationship with the Government of Israel.” Read more.

» Read the Detention Bulletin: June 2015