Ayham’s case is not an isolated transgression imposed by Israel; it is a reflection of a deeply rooted system of apartheid and oppression.

On Sunday, 14-year-old Ayham Al-Salaymeh began serving a one-year prison sentence in Israel, becoming the youngest Palestinian ever imprisoned under Israel’s military law.

Before being forced to surrender himself at Al-Moskobiya prison in Jerusalem, Ayham’s father, Nawaf, took him on a final walk through the streets of their hometown, Jerusalem. In a moment captured on video, Nawaf told his son how to survive in prison: “Every prisoner inside is your brother. They were imprisoned because of the love they have for their country.”

Ayham’s case is not an isolated transgression imposed by Israel; it is a reflection of a deeply rooted system of apartheid and oppression. In this system, Palestinian children are criminalised, stripped of their childhoods and imprisoned under conditions that would spark global outrage if they were happening anywhere else. Yet the world remains silent, even as Ayham’s story highlights the brutal machinery of Israel’s military occupation and its impact on the most vulnerable.

Ayham was first arrested in January 2022, at the age of 12, along with four other boys. Accused of throwing stones at Israeli settlers, they were detained by Israeli occupation forces and subjected to humiliating treatment and physical violence during their interrogation, according to the Israeli human rights group B’Tselem. After posting bail, Ayham was placed under house arrest, confining him to his home and stripping away his ability to live as a child.

His incarceration comes after the Israeli government passed a law last month permitting the imprisonment of children as young as 12 for offences categorised as “terrorism”. This controversial measure has become a weapon against Palestinian minors, who are treated as security threats rather than as children deserving of protection.

Ayham’s case is part of a much larger crisis. As of now, 270 Palestinian children are held in Israeli-run prisons, including notorious facilities like Ofer, Megiddo and Damon. These prisons are known for severe human rights abuses, including overcrowding, physical and psychological torture and medical neglect.

Save the Children has documented an alarming escalation of abuses since October 2023. Palestinian children detained in Israeli prisons report hunger, overcrowding and exposure to diseases like scabies due to unsanitary conditions. Many have suffered severe physical abuse, strip searches and even sexual violence. Testimonies from recently released minors paint a harrowing picture.

One Palestinian boy, Qusay, described seeing a child so brutally beaten by Israeli guards that he fainted whenever he tried to stand. “The younger children were really scared and kept crying,” he said. When Qusay asked to comfort them, he was violently beaten by guards. Another child, Firas, spoke of using a lighter to burn ticks that infested the bedding, while guards mocked prisoners who pleaded for medical care.

Conditions have worsened since the start of Israel’s war in Gaza. Reports indicate mass detentions have led to intolerable overcrowding, with detainees denied access to basic hygiene, medical treatment, or adequate food. One Israeli guard ordered prisoners to “Call me back when he’s dead,” after they requested help for a child with a severe rash.

These testimonies reveal a blatant disregard for international law, which prohibits the torture or cruel treatment of children under any circumstances.

The root of this crisis lies in Israel’s discriminatory dual legal system in the occupied territories, recognised by many as apartheid, systematically targeting Palestinians while shielding settlers. Palestinian children in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem are subjected to military law, which denies them basic rights and treats them as adults in almost every way. Israeli settlers in the same areas, however, enjoy the protections of civilian law.

Earlier this year, the International Court of Justice (ICJ) declared Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories unlawful, reinforcing the illegitimacy of policies like military detention. Despite this, Israel remains the only country in the world to automatically prosecute children in military courts.

The plight of Palestinian children like Ayham is well documented. Human rights organisations, including B’Tselem, Save the Children and UNICEF, have repeatedly called for an end to these illegal practices. Yet, the world’s response has been tepid. Western governments and media, often quick to condemn abuses elsewhere, have largely ignored the systematic targeting of Palestinian children.

This silence perpetuates the suffering. Ayham’s father’s words – “We handed him over while our hearts were burning” – capture the helplessness of families forced to comply with Israel’s  unjust system. For the global community to remain silent in the face of such blatant violations is to condone them.

Meanwhile, for Palestinian children who are released, the trauma doesn’t end. Psychologists working with Save the Children describe a deep psychological toll on former detainees, who often suffer from post-traumatic stress, guilt and a pervasive fear of re-arrest.

One psychologist noted: “They can’t make decisions, they say, ‘Why would I think of tomorrow if they will re-arrest me?’ Their families describe them as ‘frozen’.”

If human rights are to mean anything, the global community must act.

Governments must demand accountability from Israel, pressuring it to end the detention and mistreatment of children. Media outlets must break their silence, amplifying these stories and ensuring they reach audiences worldwide.

Ayham is just 14 years old. The question isn’t whether we know what’s happening. We do. The question is whether we will act – or continue to look away.