Statistics on Palestinians from the Gaza Strip in Israeli custody

7 May 2014, updated 16 September 2026

At the end of June 2026, the Israel Prison Service (IPS) was holding 1,554 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip in detention or in prison on what it defined “security” grounds. At that time, the IPS was also holding 27 Palestinians from the Gaza Strip, for being in Israel illegally.

At the end of 2020, the IPS adopted a new policy and stopped providing B'Tselem with the requested figures. Instead, it has since published some data on the IPS website every three months. The first year this occurred (July 2020 through September 2021), the figures published were partial and therefore are not included here.

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.

The following figures were provided or published by the military and the IPS, so responsibility for their accuracy lies with them.

For more information click here

Gazan prisoners and detainees in IPS custody (held for security reasons or illegal entry) and in military custody*

IPS custody

IDF custody

2026

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

June

1,554

May

1,548

April

1,275

March

1,498

Feb.

1,495

Jan.

1,485

IPS custody

IDF custody

2025

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.

1,477

Nov.

1,458

Oct.

1,415

Sep.

2,931

Aug.

2,914

July

2,636

June

2,629

May

2,385

April

2,009

March

1,928

Feb.

1,796

Jan.

2,238

IPS custody

IDF custody

2024

Security prisoners and detainees

Held for being in Israel illegally

Month

Adults

16-18

14-16

Under 14

Total

Adults

Minors

Adults

Detainees

Serving sentence

Detainees

Serving sentence

Total

Dec

2,216

Nov

2,108

Oct

2,047

Sep

2,019

Aug

1,958

July

1,925

June

1,761

May

1,216

April

1,167

Mar

1,141

Feb

1,102

Jan

995

2023	IPS custody										IDF custody
	Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in on what the IPS defines “security” grounds					Held for being in Israel illegally					IDF custody
Month	Adults	16-18	14-16	Under 14	Total	Adults		Minors		Total	Minors	Adults
						Detainees	Serving sentence	Detainees	Serving sentence
Dec	*	*	*	*	917	1	2	0	0	*	*	*
Nov	*	*	*	*	480	3	1	0	0	*	*	*
Oct	*	*	*	*	276	1	3	0	0	*	*	*
Sept	174	2	0	0	176	5	3	0	0	8	*	*
Aug	178	2	0	0	180	2	1	0	0	3	*	*
July	181	2	0	0	183	1	2	0	0	3	*	*
June	182	1	0	0	183	3	0	0	0	3	0	0
May	181	0	0	0	181	5	0	0	0	5	0	7
April	186	1	0	0	187	2	0	0	0	2	0	1
March	186	0	0	0	186	2	1	0	1	4	0	5
Feb	185	0	0	0	185	2	3	0	0	5	0	1
Jan	188	0	0	0	188	4	3	0	0	7	0	3

2022	IPS custody										IDF custody
	Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in on what the IPS defines “security” grounds					Held for being in Israel illegally					IDF custody
Month	Adults	16-18	14-16	Under 14	Total	Adults		Minors		Total	Minors	Adults
						Detainees	Serving sentence	Detainees	Serving sentence
Dec.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Nov.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Oct.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*
Sept.	186	3	0	0	189	1	4	0	0	5	*	*
August	189	3	0	0	192	3	3	0	0	6	*	*
July	190	3	0	0	193	2	4	0	0	6	*	*
June	195	3	0	0	198	4	2	0	0	6	*	*
May	193	1	0	0	194	3	4	0	0	7	*	*
April	190	1	0	0	191	4	3	0	0	7	*	*
March	191	1	0	0	192	1	3	0	0	4	0	0
Feb.	198	1	0	0	199	0	4	0	0	4	0	1
Jan.	196	0	0	0	196	0	4	0	0	4	0	0

2021

IPS custody

IDF custody

Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in on what the IPS defines “security” grounds

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.

199

Nov.

199

Oct.

198

Sept.

August

July

June

May

April

March

Feb.

Jan.

2020	IPS custody										IDF custody
	Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in on what the IPS defines “security” grounds					Held for being in Israel illegally					IDF custody
Month	Adults	16-18	14-16	Under 14	Total	Adults		Minors		Total	Minors	Adults
						Detainees	Serving sentence	Detainees	Serving sentence
Dec.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	0	0
Nov.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	0	2
Oct.	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	*	0	0
Sept.	253	1	0	0	254	2	6	0	0	8	0	2
August	254	0	0	0	254	3	6	0	0	9	1	6
July	256	0	0	0	256	0	6	0	0	6	0	0
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
	Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in on what the IPS defines “security” grounds					Held for being in Israel illegally					IDF custody
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
	Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in on what the IPS defines “security” grounds					Held for being in Israel illegally					IDF custody
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
	Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in on what the IPS defines “security” grounds					Held for being in Israel illegally					IDF custody
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
	Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in on what the IPS defines “security” grounds					Held for being in Israel illegally					IDF custody
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 prisoners and detainees from the Gaza Strip held in IPS prisons on what it defines “security” grounds, 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 prisoners and detainees from the Gaza Strip held in IPS prisons on what it defines “security” grounds, 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

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