JERUSALEM — Israeli military authorities are detaining more than 700 Palestinian children without formal charges, representing 60 percent of all minors currently held in Israeli prison facilities, according to human rights documentation released Tuesday.

The practice of administrative detention allows Israeli forces to hold suspected individuals for renewable six-month periods without trial or specific criminal charges. Palestinian children as young as 12 have been subjected to this system, with detention periods extending beyond two years in documented cases.

"These children face interrogation without legal representation and experience physical abuse during arrest procedures," said Khalil Abu Shamala, director of the Palestinian Prisoners' Society. Most detained minors were arrested during night raids on their homes or while attending school, according to testimony collected by rights organizations.

Israeli military spokespeople defend the detention system as necessary for preventing security threats in the West Bank. "Administrative detention serves as a preventive measure when evidence cannot be presented in open court without compromising ongoing intelligence operations," said Colonel Sarah Minerbi, military court administration spokesperson. However, former prisoners report overcrowded cells, limited access to family visits, and educational disruption affecting their development.