Israel detains two Palestinian children in Hebron under claims of 'espionage'

Israeli forces on Monday placed two Palestinian children in custody under suspicion of "espionage" in the Old City of Hebron, located south of the occupied West Bank. 

The children, aged five and six-years old, were held for 30 minutes before they were released after the intervention of Palestinian residents and foreign activists. 

Israeli forces detained the children claiming they were spying on a house occupied by an Israeli settler. 

The local Wafa news agency reported that the Palestinian children were instead playing football near their home.

Speaking to Anadolu Agency, Badr al-Tamimi, a resident of the Ain al-Askar neighbourhood near the Ibrahimi Mosque, said the children were in a state of panic during the incident, adding that they are "now living in fear".

"The occupation forces were carrying out renovation work on a house they had seized a short time ago," he explained, expressing shock over the accusations made against the two children. 

"The children, unconsciously, stood in front of the house while the door was open. The occupation forces claimed that this was espionage."

In one clip circulating online, the two children could be seen crying as they held each other's hands during their detention by an armed Israeli soldier. 

Footage circulating online shows Israeli forces detaining two Palestinian boys, reportedly in the old city of Hebron in the occupied West Bank, on Monday pic.twitter.com/wZx6vG6mvX

— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) September 30, 2025

Another video shows locals surrounded by Israeli forces, as they attempted to reason with them, but were only brushed off. 

The UN Human Rights Office in occupied Palestine said that the detention of children demonstrates the "cruel daily realities on the ground for Palestinians" in a post on X.

"Rights of Palestinian children to life, health, education, movement and others are being denied on a daily basis. Every day, children are killed, injured or arbitrarily detained by Israeli forces in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT)," the statement added. 

Palestinians in the occupied territory have long been subject to tight restrictions, curfews and arrests. 

Since the genocide in Gaza began nearly two years ago, the siege across the West Bank has only tightened, with mass arrests and detention campaigns becoming a near-daily reality for Palestinians, including children. 

More than 20,000 children have been killed by Israeli attacks in Gaza since October 2023.