Youngest Palestinian child prisoner, Shadi Farah, 12, from Jerusalem, sent a letter to his mother on her birthday.

Shadi’s letter read: “ I want to tell you to keep your head high in the sky just like palm trees, never shaken by winds nor earthquakes, and I want you, my mother, to be proud because what I am going through is a test from God. I want you to convey my greetings to my relatives and friends and my brothers and sisters, especially Rayan.”

In April 2016, Defense of Children International, in Ramallah published a report detailing the widespread and systematic ill-treatment of Palestinian children in the Israeli military detention system. From meals prepared in a makeshift kitchen to adult prisoner “caregivers,” the report also gives a rare glimpse into Palestinian children’s daily living conditions in Israeli prisons.