At the end of September 2020, 254 Palestinian security detainees and prisoners from the Gaza Strip - including one minor - were held in Israeli prisons. An additional 8 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip were held in Israel Prison Service facilities for being in Israel illegally. The IPS considers these Palestinians – both detainees and prisoners – criminal offenders. The following data were provided by the military and by the IPS.
Due to IPS policy as of May 2020 not to provide B'Tselem with figures under 5, the overall number of detainees and prisoners, as provided B'Tselem, may not match the sum total of detainees and prisoners in the various categories.
B'Tselem petitioned the Central District Court to revoke this policy.
In addition, at times, some Palestinians are briefly held in military facilities. The figures from the military are received with a significant time delay and provide no details regarding inmates’ legal standing.
For more information click here
For further information please contact Eyal Sagiv by e-mail at: saeyal@btselem.org.
Gazan prisoners and detainees in IPS custody (held for security reasons or illegal entry) and in military custody*
| 2020 | IPS custody | IDF custody | ||||||||||
| Security prisoners and detainees | Held for being in Israel illegally | |||||||||||
| Month | Adults | 16-18 | 14-16 | Under 14 | Total | Adults | Minors | Total | Minors | Adults | ||
| Detainees | Serving sentence | Detainees | Serving sentence | |||||||||
| Sept. | 253 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 254 | 2 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 8 | * | * |
| August | 254 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 254 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 | * | * |
| July | 256 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 256 | 0 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 6 | * | * |
| June | 263 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 263 | 1 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 7 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 267 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 267 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| April | 274 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 274 | 1 | 7 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 276 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 277 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Feb. | 282 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 282 | 3 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
|
Jan.
|
287
|
0
|
0
|
0
|
287
|
1
|
8
|
0
|
0
|
9
|
0
|
0
|
| 2019 | IPS custody | IDF custody | ||||||||||
| Security prisoners and detainees | Held for being in Israel illegally | |||||||||||
| Month | Adults | 16-18 | 14-16 | Under 14 | Total | Adults | Minors | Total | Minors | Adults | ||
| Detainees | Serving sentence | Detainees | Serving sentence | |||||||||
| Dec. | 296 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 296 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Nov. | 302 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 303 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 0 |
| Oct. | 306 | 2 | 1 | 0 | 309 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 2 |
| Sept. | 306 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 311 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 |
| August | 307 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 312 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| July | 304 | 4 | 1 | 0 | 309 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| June | 304 | 5 | 0 | 0 | 309 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 2 |
| May | 305 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 309 | 1 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 2 |
| April | 301 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 303 | 1 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 292 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 295 | 2 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 1 |
|
Feb.
|
291
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
294
|
3
|
10
|
0
|
0
|
13
|
0
|
1
|
|
Jan.
|
290
|
3
|
0
|
0
|
293
|
4
|
10
|
0
|
0
|
14
|
0
|
1
|
| 2018 | IPS custody | IDF custody | ||||||||||
| Security prisoners and detainees | Held for being in Israel illegally | |||||||||||
| Month | Adults | 16-18 | 14-16 | Under 14 | Total | Adults | Minors | Total | Minors | Adults | ||
| Detainees | Serving sentence |
Detainees | Serving sentence |
|||||||||
| Dec. | 294 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 298 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2 |
| Nov. | 299 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 303 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| Oct. | 306 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 310 | 1 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 |
| Sept. | 308 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 312 | 2 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 1 |
| Aug. | 308 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 311 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 4 |
| July | 315 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 318 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 9 | 0 | 4 |
| June | 314 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 316 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 8 | 0 | 1 |
| May | 315 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 317 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 4 |
| April | 304 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 307 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 3 |
| March | 308 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 310 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 2 |
| Feb. | 306 | 7 | 3 | 0 | 316 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 1 |
| Jan | 316 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 318 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 2 |
* One Palestinian resident of the Gaza Strip has been held by the IPS under the Illegal Combatants Law since Aug. 2014, although he does not appear in the IPS data.
| 2017 | IPS custody | IDF custody | ||||||||||
| Security prisoners and detainees | Held for being in Israel illegally | |||||||||||
| Month | Adults | 16-18 | 14-16 | Under 14 | Total | Adults | Minors | Total | Minors | Adults | ||
| Detainees | Serving sentence |
Detainees | Serving sentence |
|||||||||
| Dec. | 318 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 319 | 4 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 2 |
| Nov. | 320 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 320 | 2 | 9 | 1 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 3 |
| Oct. | 325 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 325 | 3 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 0 |
| Sept. | 326 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 326 | 5 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 6 |
| Aug. | 328 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 328 | 4 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 1 | 6 |
| July | 326 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 326 | 2 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 1 |
| June | 323 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 324 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 328 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 329 | 1 | 13 | 1 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 8 |
| April | 328 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 329 | 2 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 1 |
| March | 331 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 332 | 5 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 2 |
| Feb. | 333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 334 | 4 | 13 | 0 | 0 | 17 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan | 333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 334 | 6 | 8 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 3 |
* One Palestinian resident of the Gaza Strip has been held by the IPS under the Illegal Combatants Law since Aug. 2014, although he does not appear in the IPS data.
| 2016 | IPS custody | IDF custody | ||||||||||
| Security prisoners and detainees | Held for being in Israel illegally | |||||||||||
| Month | Adults | 16-18 | 14-16 | Under 14 | Total | Adults | Minors | Total | Minors | Adults | ||
| Detainees | Serving sentence |
Detainees | Serving sentence |
|||||||||
| Dec. | 337 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 339 | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 1 |
| Nov. | 339 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 342 | 3 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 2 |
| Oct. | 335 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 338 | 1 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 12 | 0 | 2 |
| Sept. | 337 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 340 | 2 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 11 | 0 | 0 |
| Aug. | 333 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 336 | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 10 | 0 | 2 |
| July | 339 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 342 | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 0 |
| June | 338 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 341 | 7 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 16 | 0 | 0 |
| May | 339 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 341 | 4 | 11 | 0 | 1 | 16 | 0 | 2 |
| April | 333 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 334 | 10 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 |
| March | 336 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 337 | 6 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 15 | 0 | 1 |
| Feb. | 339 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 340 | 6 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 0 |
| Jan | 341 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 342 | 3 | 24 | 0 | 0 | 27 | 0 | 2 |
* One Palestinian resident of the Gaza Strip has been held by the IPS under the Illegal Combatants Law since Aug. 2014, although he does not appear in the IPS data.
Palestinian security detainees and prisoners from the Gaza Strip held in IPS prisons, 2013-2015
| 2015 | |||||
| Month | Adults | 18-16 | 16-14 | Under 14 | Total |
| Jan. | 357 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 358 |
| Feb. | 360 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 361 |
| March | 360 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 361 |
| April | 357 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 357 |
| May | 351 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 351 |
| June | 350 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 350 |
| July | 346 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 346 |
| August | 341 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 371 |
| Sept. | 342 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 342 |
| Oct. | 342 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 342 |
| Nov. | 340 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 341 |
| Dec.**** | 342 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 343 |
| 2014 | |||||
| Month | Adults | 18-16 | 16-14 | Under 14 | Total |
| Jan. | 373 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 373 |
| Feb. | 373 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 373 |
| March | 373 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 373 |
| April | 373 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 373 |
| May | 370 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 370 |
| June | 365 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 366 |
| July | 366 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 367 |
| August | 369 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 370 |
| Sept. | 367 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 368 |
| Oct. | 364 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 365 |
| Nov. | 361 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 362 |
| Dec. | 361 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 362 |
| 2013 | |||||
| Month | Adults | 18-16 | 16-14 | Under 14 | Total |
| Jan. | 421 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 423 |
| Feb. | 418 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 419 |
| March | 414 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 415 |
| April | 410 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 411 |
| May | 409 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 410 |
| June | 408 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 409 |
| July | 411 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 412 |
| Aug. | 391 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 392 |
| Sept. | 391 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 392 |
| Oct. | 385 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 386 |
| Nov. | 386 | 1 | 0 | 0 | 387 |
| Dec. | 381 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 381 |
* According to figures received from the IDF Spokesperson, during Operation Protective Edge (July-August 2014), 159 Palestinians were apprehended in the Gaza Strip and taken to three purpose-built detention facilities near Gaza. All three facilities were shut down by 5 August 2014. Some of the detainees were released and others handed over to the custody of the IPS (Israel Prison Service), yet relevant figures were not provided. Once of the detainees now in IPS custody is being held under the Incarceration of Unlawful Combatants Law.
** In addition, two Palestinians from the Gaza Strip were in IDF custody in December 2015.
*** One Palestinian resident of the Gaza Strip has been held by the IPS under the Illegal Combatants Law since Aug. 2014, although he does not appear in the IPS data.
Palestinians from the Gaza Strip held in IPS facilities for being in Israel illegally
| 2015 | |||||
| Month | Adults | Minors | Total | ||
| Detainees | Serving sentence |
Detainees | Serving sentence |
||
| Jan. | 4 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Feb. | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| March | 5 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 19 |
| April | 2 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 16 |
| May | 0 | 14 | 0 | 0 | 14 |
| June | 1 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| July | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| August | 2 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 13 |
| Sept. | 1 | 9 | 0 | 0 | 10 |
| Oct. | 4 | 10 | 1 | 0 | 15 |
| Nov. | 21 | 11 | 0 | 0 | 32 |
| Dec. | 3 | 26 | 0 | 0 | 29 |
| 2014 | |||||
| Month | Adults | Minors | Total | ||
| Detainees | Serving sentence |
Detainees | Serving sentence |
||
| Jan. | 2 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 18 |
| Feb. | 5 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| March | 5 | 15 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| April | 5 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| May | 3 | 19 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| June | 3 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| July | 2 | 21 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| August | 3 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Sept. | 4 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 21 |
| Oct. | 4 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| Nov. | 3 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
| Dec. | 1 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 17 |
| 2013 | |||||
| Month | Adults | Minors | Total | ||
| Detainees | Serving sentence |
Detainees | Serving sentence |
||
| April | 6 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| May | 6 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 22 |
| June | 7 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 24 |
| July | 6 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 23 |
| Aug. | 8 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 28 |
| Sept. | 9 | 18 | 1 | 0 | 28 |
| Oct. | 7 | 18 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| Nov. | 5 | 20 | 0 | 0 | 25 |
| Dec. | 3 | 17 | 0 | 0 | 20 |
Palestinian security detainees and prisoners from the Gaza Strip held in IPS prisons, 2012-2009
| 2012 | ||||
| Month | Adults | 16-18 | Under 16 | Total |
| Jan. | 443 | 0 | 0 | 443 |
| Feb. | 442 | 1 | 0 | 443 |
| March | 441 | 1 | 0 | 442 |
| April | 441 | 1 | 0 | 442 |
| May | 440 | 1 | 0 | 441 |
| June | 441 | 1 | 0 | 442 |
| July | 433 | 2 | 0 | 435 |
| Aug. | 431 | 2 | 0 | 433 |
| Sept. | 429 | 2 | 0 | 431 |
| Oct. | 427 | 2 | 0 | 429 |
| Nov. | 423 | 2 | 0 | 425 |
| Dec. | 421 | 2 | 0 | 423 |
| 2011 | ||||
| Month | Adults | 16-18 | Under 16 | Total |
| Jan. | 674 | 0 | 0 | 674 |
| Feb. | 658 | 0 | 0 | 658 |
| March | 647 | 0 | 0 | 647 |
| April | 641 | 0 | 0 | 641 |
| May | 633 | 0 | 0 | 633 |
| June | 634 | 0 | 0 | 634 |
| July | 634 | 0 | 0 | 634 |
| Aug. | 615 | 0 | 0 | 615 |
| Sept. | 613 | 0 | 0 | 613 |
| Oct. | 486 | 0 | 0 | 486 |
| Nov. | 483 | 0 | 0 | 483 |
| Dec. | 445 | 0 | 0 | 445 |
| 2010 | ||||
| Month | Adults | 16-18 | Under 16 | Total |
| Jan. | 725 | 1 | 0 | 726 |
| Feb. | 721 | 1 | 0 | 722 |
| March | 716 | 1 | 0 | 717 |
| April | 709 | 1 | 0 | 710 |
| May | 700 | 1 | 0 | 701 |
| June | 698 | 1 | 0 | 699 |
| July | 692 | 1 | 0 | 693 |
| Aug. | 686 | 1 | 0 | 687 |
| Sept. | 679 | 1 | 0 | 680 |
| Oct. | 679 | 1 | 0 | 680 |
| Nov. | 674 | 1 | 0 | 675 |
| Dec. | 674 | 0 | 0 | 674 |
| 2009 | ||||
| Month | Adults | 16-18 | Under 16 | Total |
| May | 757 | 1 | 0 | 758 |
| June | 757 | 0 | 0 | 757 |
| July | 745 | 0 | 0 | 745 |
| Aug. | 739 | 0 | 0 | 739 |
| Sept. | 733 | 0 | 0 | 733 |
| Oct. | 728 | 0 | 0 | 728 |
| Nov. | 726 | 0 | 0 | 726 |
| Dec. | 728 | 1 | 0 | 729 |
