The Israeli Knesset has passed a law enabling courts to hand down prison sentences to Palestinian minors.
The five-year measure allows courts to detain children under the age of fourteen in closed facilities, if convicted of murder. Once they reach the age of fourteen, the minors will continue serving their sentences in prisons. The law also includes a three-year provision that allows courts to send minors to prison instead of Youth detention centers for up to ten days if they’re considered dangerous. Currently, over 270 Palestinian minors are held in Israeli detention, many without formal charges or trials.