Queen Rania, Irish PM Demand End to Israeli Military Detention of Palestinian Children

The first-ever U.N. General Assembly High-Level Week event dedicated to Palestinian children in Israeli military detention brought heads of state, diplomats and a formerly detained teenager to the same stage Sept. 22 to confront what speakers described as a decades-old system of abuse operating with near-total impunity. With Queen Rania of Jordan delivering a searing keynote, Ireland's Taoiseach Micheál Martin citing data showing 99% of detained children reported physical assault, and Amnesty International framing the detention regime as evidence of genocidal intent, the event elevated a crisis that organizers said the international community has long failed to address.

• Queen Rania condemns "routine cruelty" against Palestinian children detained in Israeli military custody, citing solitary confinement lasting up to 45 days
• Irish PM Micheál Martin calls for immediate release of all detained Palestinian children, noting every child interviewed was denied family contact
• Palestinian-American teenager Mohammed Ibrahim describes 10 months of detention — hunger, disease, overcrowding and zero contact with his family
• Teenager's uncle reveals a fellow detainee died in Mohammed's arms from starvation; Mohammed's cousin was killed by settlers while the IDF blocked an ambulance for nearly three hours
• Amnesty International labels detention system "state policy" demonstrating genocidal intent, demands ban on trade and investment linked to occupation
• League of Arab States presents four demands including a sustained U.N. follow-up mechanism on detained children