Take action
Israel’s illegal policy of administrative detention must end. Urge your MP to publicly condemn this disgraceful treatment of Palestinian men, women and children.
Let's find your local MP
Thank you for contacting your MP about this important issue.
Please share this campaign with your friends and family.
Tweet your MP urging they condemn the disgraceful Israeli policy of administrative detention.
Let's find your local MP
Here are frequently asked questions on #StopAdministrativeDetention
Administrative detention is when Palestinians are arrested by the Israeli occupation forces and held indefinitely without charge or trial, on the grounds that they might commit an offence in the future
No. Administrative detention is a form of collective punishment, which is prohibited under Article 33 of the Fourth Geneva Convention
Yes. In September 2020 there were at least two Palestinian children being held under administrative detention. If you’d like to learn more about Palestinian children you can check out our #StolenChildhood campaign
No. Since 1967, Israel has operated two separate legal systems in the occupied West Bank: civilian and criminal law for Israeli settlers and military law for Palestinians (including Palestinian children). This means that Palestinian children are the only children in the world who are prosecuted through military rather than civilian courts.
Use the hashtag #ScrapAdministrativeDetention on social media
Use the tool above to write to your MP asking them to publicly condemn Israel’s use of administrative detention
We’ll be adding information to this campaign over the coming weeks, but we recommend following Palestinian prisoners’ human rights association Addameer.
Story so far.
Israel frequently uses AD to target human rights activists, university students, mothers of detainees and members of the Palestinian Legislative Council.
Amnesty International has described Israel’s use of AD as a “cruel, unjust practice which helps maintain Israel’s system of apartheid against Palestinians.”
Like other Palestinian prisoners, prison conditions for administrative detainees are appalling. They are subjected to arbitrary beatings, solitary confinement, limited family visits and medical negligence. Palestinians can be held without charge or trial for months or even years.
In 2022 Palestinian prisoner Khalil Awawdeh went on hunger strike for over 170 days to protest against Israel’s inhumane policy. Most recently in October 2022 50 Palestinian prisoners have gone on hunger strike to protest against this cruelty.
This is an ongoing problem. According to Israeli human rights organisation B’Tselem, since March 2002 not a single month has gone by without Israel holding at least 100 Palestinians in administrative detention. This must stop. Help #StopAdministrativeDetention by taking action now.
As of September 2025, Israel is holding about 3,500 to 3,600 Palestinians in administrative detention, the highest levels on record.
What is administrative detention?
Administrative detention is when Israeli Occupation Forces arrest Palestinians without charge or trial, on secret claims that they may commit an offence in the future. Orders last six months at a time, can be renewed without limit, and keep people locked up for months, years, and effectively indefinitely. Israel’s use of administrative detention violates international law.
Who is targeted?
Administrative detention is used to crush Palestinian civic life, targeting activists, students, journalists and elected figures. Amnesty International calls it a cruel, unjust practice that helps maintain Israel’s system of apartheid against Palestinians.
Conditions and abuses
Reports document ill treatment, torture and incommunicado detention, especially since 2023 and 2024. Detainees from Gaza are also held without charge under the Unlawful Combatants Law. Families are routinely denied information and access.
Resistance
Palestinian detainees use hunger strikes and boycotts of military courts to protest administrative detention. In May 2023, Khader Adnan died after an 86 day hunger strike while protesting his detention, underscoring the absence of due process and the severe toll on prisoners and their families.
This must stop.
Demand release, full due process and independent monitoring, and an end to Israel’s mass detention without trial. Help #StopAdministrativeDetention by taking action now.
