Since 2016, Israeli authorities held at least 178 Palestinian children in solitary confinement for interrogation purposes.

Israeli authorities routinely detain Palestinian children in isolation solely for interrogation purposes, a practice that amounts to torture or cruel, inhuman, or degrading treatment or punishment.

Between January 1, 2016 and December 31, 2022, DCIP documented the solitary confinement of 178 Palestinian children for a period of two or more days during a period of interrogation. Children were held for an average period of 16.5 days.

Palestinian children are typically subjected to solitary confinement following a military arrest and transfer by Israeli authorities. While in isolation, these children experience minimal human contact and commonly report significantly worse cell conditions than in other periods of detention.

The solitary confinement of Palestinian children within the Israeli military detention system takes place almost exclusively during pre-charge and pre-trial detention. Evidence collected by DCIP overwhelmingly indicates that it is practiced solely to obtain a confession for a specific offense or to gather intelligence under interrogation. DCIP has found no evidence of the legally justifiable use of solitary confinement of Palestinian children. 

International law prohibits the use of solitary confinement and other practices constituting cruel, inhuman or degrading treatment against children. The practice of solitary confinement, in addition to corporal punishment, placement in a dark cell, or any other punishment that may compromise the physical or mental health of the child may, in some cases, amount to torture.