Palestinian 14-year-old becomes Israel's youngest-ever prisoner

On Sunday, Ayham al-Salaymeh, a 14-year-old Palestinian, began serving a one-year prison sentence, becoming the youngest Palestinian ever to be imprisoned in Israel.

Salaymeh turned himself into the Israeli Prison Service at al-Maskoubiya prison, his father, Nawaf, said in a video. The prison administration refused to allow Ayham to bring in belongings such as clothes, shoes and other personal items.

Ayham's sentencing came after he had spent a year-and-a-half under house arrest in his family's home in the Ras al-Amud neighbourhood in Silwan, in occupied East Jerusalem.

Before entering prison, Nawwaf took his son on one last tour of their hometown, Jerusalem. In several viral clips online, Nawaf can be seen accompanying the young boy and advising him on how to behave in prison.

"Every prisoner inside is your brother," his father tells him in one video. "They are all like you. They were imprisoned because of the love they have for their country."

In another clip, his father expressed worry over Ayham's health in prison, noting that former prisoners who weighed more than his son had lost significant weight.

"The boy is 30kg now, after a year of imprisonment, what will happen to him?"

'Palestinian minors treated as hostile population'

In late January of last year, Ayham, aged 12 at the time, and four other boys were arrested by Israeli forces. They were accused of throwing stones at Israeli settlers, according to a report by the Israeli human rights group, B'Tselem. B'Tselem said the boys were subjected to humiliating treatment and physical violence during interrogation.

"Arresting children in this way is part of Israel's overall oppressive policy in East Jerusalem and throughout the West Bank," the rights group wrote, adding that this case was part of "Israel's systemic treatment of Palestinian minors".

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"The Israeli law enforcement system treats Palestinian minors as part of a hostile population, all of whom, teenagers and adults alike, are presumed guilty unless proven otherwise, and employs extreme measures against them it would not dare use against other populations in Israel."

The boys were released after posting bail. However, on 17 May, the Israeli police arrested Ayham's older brother, Ahmed, and three of his cousins ​​from their homes in Ras al-Amud.

The father at the time told Middle East Eye, “The Israeli police told us that they were not satisfied with the child being under house arrest and that he must surrender himself."

"We handed him over while our hearts were burning."

During his time in administrative detention, the family was not allowed to visit Ahmed, who was 14 at the time, because his father is a former prisoner and his mother holds a West Bank ID and was refused a visitation permit. He was also charged with stone-throwing.

A few months later, Ahmed was released into house arrest as part of a temporary ceasefire agreement between Hamas and Israel.

Children convicted under 'terrorism'

In early November, the Israeli parliament approved a temporary five-year order that allows children convicted of capital offences considered as "terrorism" to be sentenced to prison from the age of 12.  

The bill was approved in the second and third readings by 55–33 votes. According to the new bill, children would continue to serve their sentence in prison even after reaching the age of 14. 

Additionally, a three-year provision allows courts to jail minors in prison instead of juvenile facilities for up to 10 days if they are deemed to pose a threat to others. 

According to the Palestinian Prisoner's Society, Israel has detained 270 children across different prisons, including Ofer, Megiddo, and Damon prisons.

All three locations have previously been flagged for extreme human rights abuses and poor conditions, such as brutal beatings, sexual abuse, physical and psychological torture, overcrowding and medical negligence.