Since October 2020, the IPS has stopped providing B’Tselem with figures in response to requests under the Freedom of Information Law.
At the end of September 2020, 376 Palestinians - including two minors - were held in administrative detention in Israel Prison Service (IPS) facilities.
Due to IPS policy as of May 2020 not to provide B'Tselem with figures under 5, the overall number of detainees and prisoners, as provided B'Tselem, may not match the sum total of detainees and prisoners in the various categories.
B'Tselem petitioned the Central District Court to revoke this policy.
According to the IDF Spokesperson, on occasion, the military also holds in custody a handful of administrative detainees for several days, until room becomes available in IPS facilities.
The following tables show the number of Palestinians held by Israel in administrative detention on specific dates from 2001 to 2020, one date given per month. The data were provided by the military and the IPS. We do not have figures on the overall number of Palestinians held in Israel in administrative detention during this period.
For more information click here
For further information please contact Eyal Sagiv by e-mail at: saeyal@btselem.org.
Administrative detainees by duration in custody
* The diagrams above show the number of administrative detainees on a given day in December of each year, according to figures we received for that day, as detailed in the tables below. We do not have figures available for the overall number of administrative detainees in a given month.
Administrative detainees by month, 2020
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics | ||
|
|
Total | Minors aged 14 to 16 | Minors aged 16 to 18 | ||
| Dec. | 26 | * | * | * | 31 Dec. |
| Nov. | 14 | * | * | * | 30 Nov. |
| Oct. | 24 | * | * | * | 31 oct. |
| Sept. | 27 | 376 | 0 | 2 | 30 Sept. |
| Aug. | 22 | 355 | 0 | 2 | 31 Aug. |
| July | 20 | 334 | 0 | 2 | 31 July |
| June | 13 | 357 | 0 | 2 | 30 June |
| May | 18 | 352 | 0 | 2 | 31 May |
| April | 4 | 372 | 0 | 1 | 30 April |
| March | 2 | 424 | 0 | 2 | 31 March |
| Feb. | 0 | 429 | 0 | 3 | 29 Feb. |
| Jan. | 0 | 431 | 0 | 3 | 31 Jan. |
Administrative detainees by month, 2019
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics | ||
|
|
Total | Minors aged 14 to 16 | Minors aged 16 to 18 | ||
| Dec. | 0 | 464 | 0 | 4 | 31 Dec. |
| Nov. | 0 | 458 | 0 | 1 | 30 Nov. |
| Oct. | 0 | 460 | 0 | 3 | 31 Oct. |
| Sept. | 0 | 437 | 0 | 3 | 30 Sept. |
| August | 0 | 413 | 0 | 1 | 31 Aug. |
| July | 0 | 454 | 0 | 0 | 31 July |
| June | 0 | 433 | 0 | 0 | 30 June |
| May | 0 | 486 | 0 | 0 | 31 May |
| April | 0 | 479 | 0 | 2 | 30 April |
| March | 0 | 486 | 0 | 2 | 31 March |
| Feb. | 0 | 495 | 0 | 2 | 28 Feb. |
| Jan. | 0 | 491 | 0 | 2 | 31 Jan. |
Administrative detainees by month, 2018
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics | ||
|
|
Total | Minors aged 14 to 16 | Minors aged 16 to 18 | ||
| Dec. | 0 | 494 | 0 | 2 | 31 Dec. |
| Nov. | 0 | 469 | 0 | 3 | 30 Nov. |
| Oct. | 0 | 481 | 0 | 4 | 31 Oct. |
| Sept. | 0 | 481 | 0 | 4 | 30 Sept. |
| Aug. | 0 | 465 | 0 | 3 | 31 Aug. |
| July | 0 | 462 | 0 | 4 | 31 July |
| June | 2 | 446 | 0 | 3 | 30 June |
| May | 0 | 440 | 0 | 3 | 31 May |
| April | 0 | 424 | 0 | 3 | 30 April |
| March | 0 | 431 | 0 | 3 | 31 March |
| Feb. | 0 | 427 | 0 | 4 | 28 Feb. |
| Jan |
0
|
445
|
0
|
3
|
31 Jan. |
* One Palestinian resident of the Gaza Strip was held by the IPS under the Illegal Combatants Law from Aug. 2014 to April 2018, although he did not always appear in the IPS data.
Administrative detainees by month, 2017
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics | ||
|
|
Total | Minors aged 14 to 16 | Minors aged 16 to 18 | ||
| Dec. | 0 | 437 | 0 | 2 | 31 Dec. |
| Nov. | 0 | 425 | 0 | 2 | 30 Nov. |
| Oct. | 0 | 449 | 0 | 2 | 31 Oct. |
| Sept. | 0 | 453 | 0 | 2 | 30 Sept. |
| Aug. | 0 | 436 | 0 | 1 | 31 Aug. |
| July | 1 | 459 | 0 | 1 | 31 July |
| June | 0 | 444 | 0 | 2 | 30 June |
| May | 0 | 475 | 0 | 2 | 31 May |
| April | 0 | 486 | 0 | 2 | 30 April |
| March |
0
|
492
|
0
|
1
|
31 March |
| Feb. | 0 | 514 | 0 | 0 | 28 Feb. |
| Jan |
0
|
531
|
0
|
0
|
31 Jan. |
* One Palestinian resident of the Gaza Strip was held by the IPS under the Illegal Combatants Law from Aug. 2014 to April 2018, although he did not always appear in the IPS data.
Administrative detainees by month, 2016
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics | ||
|
|
Total | Minors aged 14 to 16 | Minors aged 16 to 18 | ||
| Dec. | 0 | 535 | 0 | 1 | 31. Dec. |
| Nov. | 1 | 576 | 0 | 4 | 30 Nov. |
| Oct. | 1 | 598 | 0 | 5 | 31 Oct. |
| Sept. | 6 | 608 | 0 | 7 | 30 Sept. |
| Aug. | 2 | 644 | 0 | 10 | 31 Aug. |
| July | 0 | 642 | 0 | 8 | 31 July |
| June | 1 | 685 | 0 | 7 | 30 June |
| May | 5 | 678 | 0 | 10 | 31 May |
| April | 2 | 692 | 0 | 13 | 30 April |
| March |
35
|
688
|
0
|
11
|
31 March |
| Feb. |
33
|
627
|
1
|
6
|
29 Feb. |
| Jan |
11
|
568
|
0
|
2
|
31 Jan. |
* One Palestinian resident of the Gaza Strip was held by the IPS under the Illegal Combatants Law from Aug. 2014 to April 2018, although he did not always appear in the IPS data.
Administrative detainees by month, 2015
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics | ||
|
|
Total | Minors aged 14 to 16 | Minors aged 16 to 18 | ||
| Dec. | 17 |
584
|
0
|
6 | IDF & IPS: Dec. 31 |
| Nov. |
25
|
527
|
0
|
5 | IDF & IPS: Nov. 30 |
| Oct. |
24
|
429
|
0
|
4 | IDF & IPS: Oct. 31 |
| Sept. |
6
|
315
|
0
|
0 | IDF & IPS: Sept. 30 |
| Aug. |
1
|
341
|
0
|
0 | IDF & IPS: August 31 |
| July |
0
|
342
|
0
|
0 | IDF & IPS: July 31 |
| June |
2
|
370
|
0
|
0 | IDF & IPS: June 30 |
| May |
1
|
391
|
0
|
0 | IDF & IPS: May 31 |
| April |
4
|
396
|
0
|
0 | IDF & IPS: April 30 |
| March |
3
|
412
|
0
|
0 | IDF & IPS: March 31 |
| Feb. |
1
|
424
|
0
|
0 | IDF & IPS: Feb. 28 |
| Jan |
4
|
455
|
0
|
0 | IDF & IPS: Jan. 31 |
* One Palestinian resident of the Gaza Strip was held by the IPS under the Illegal Combatants Law from Aug. 2014 to April 2018, although he did not always appear in the IPS data.
Administrative detainees by month, 2014
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics |
| Dec. |
9
|
463
|
IDF & IPS: Dec. 31 |
| Nov. |
7
|
461
|
IDF & IPS: Nov. 30 |
| Oct. |
5
|
457
|
IDF & IPS: Oct. 31 |
| Sept. |
9
|
468
|
IDF & IPS: Sept 30 |
| August |
*
|
473
|
IPS: August 30 |
| July |
*
|
446
|
IPS: July 31 |
| June |
*
|
363
|
IPS: June 30 |
| May |
*
|
196
|
IPS: May 31 |
| April |
*
|
191
|
IPS: April 30 |
| March |
*
|
186
|
IPS: March 31 |
| Feb. |
*
|
181
|
IPS: Feb. 28 |
| Jan. |
*
|
175
|
IPS: January 31 |
* One Palestinian resident of the Gaza Strip was held by the IPS under the Illegal Combatants Law from Aug. 2014 to April 2018, although he did not always appear in the IPS data.
Administrative detainees by month, 2013
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics |
| Dec. |
*
|
150
|
IPS: Dec. 31 |
| Nov. |
*
|
143
|
IPS: Nov. 30 |
| Oct. |
*
|
140
|
IPS: Oct. 31 |
| Sept. |
*
|
135
|
IPS: Sept. 30 |
| August |
*
|
134
|
IPS: August 31 |
| July |
*
|
134
|
IPS: July 31 |
| June |
*
|
137
|
IPS: June 30 |
| May |
*
|
147
|
IPS: May 31 |
| April |
*
|
155
|
IPS: April 30 |
| March |
*
|
164
|
IPS: March 31 |
| Feb. |
*
|
169
|
IPS: February 28 |
| Jan. |
*
|
159
|
IPS: January 31 |
Administrative detainees by month, 2012
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics |
| Dec. |
*
|
178
|
IPS: Dec. 31 |
| Nov. |
*
|
178
|
IPS: Nov. 30 |
| Oct. |
*
|
156
|
IPS: Oct. 31 |
| Sept. |
*
|
184
|
IPS: Sept. 30 |
| Aug. |
*
|
212
|
IPS: Aug. 31 |
| July |
*
|
250
|
IPS: July 31 |
| June |
*
|
285
|
IPS: June 30 |
| May |
*
|
302
|
IPS: May 31 |
| April |
*
|
308
|
IPS: April 30 |
| March |
*
|
320
|
IPS: March 31 |
| Feb. |
*
|
320
|
IPS: Feb. 29 |
| Jan. |
*
|
309
|
IPS: January 31 |
Administrative detainees by month, 2011
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics |
| Dec. |
*
|
307 | IPS: Dec. 31 |
| Nov. |
*
|
283 | IPS: Nov. 30 |
| Oct. |
*
|
278 | IPS: Oct. 31 |
| Sept. |
*
|
286 | IPS: Sept. 30 |
| Aug. |
*
|
272 | IPS: Aug. 31 |
| July |
*
|
243 | IPS: July 31 |
| June |
*
|
242 | IPS: June 30 |
| May |
*
|
228 | IPS: May 31 |
| April |
*
|
219 | IPS: April 30 |
| March |
*
|
217 | IPS: March 27 |
| Feb. |
*
|
214 | IPS: February 28 |
| Jan. |
*
|
219
|
IPS: January 31 |
Administrative detainees by month, 2010
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics |
| Dec. |
*
|
204 | IPS: Dec. 31 |
| Nov. |
*
|
205 | IPS: Nov. 30 |
| Oct. |
*
|
213 | IPS: Oct. 31 |
| Sept. |
*
|
212 | IPS: Sept. 30 |
| August |
*
|
189 | IPS: August 31 |
| July |
*
|
199 | IPS: July 31 |
| June |
*
|
203 | IPS: June 30 |
| May |
*
|
213 | IPS: May 31 |
| April |
*
|
222 | IPS: April 30 |
| March |
*
|
237 | IPS: March 31 |
| Feb. |
*
|
259 | IPS: February 28 |
| Jan. |
*
|
264
|
IPS: January 31 |
Administrative detainees by month, 2009
| Month | IDF | IPS | Date of Statistics |
| Dec. | * | 278 | IPS: Dec. 31 |
| Nov. | * | 291 | IPS: Nov. 30 |
| Oct. | * | 322 | IPS: Oct. 31 |
| Sept. | * | 335 | IPS: Sept. 30 |
| August | * | 363 | IPS: August 31 |
| July | * | 387 | IPS: July 31 |
| June | 428 | IDF: June 28, IPS: June 30 | |
| May | * | 449 | IPS: May 31 |
| April | * | 487 | IPS: April 30 |
| March | * | 506 | IPS: March 31 |
| Feb. | 542 | IDF: February 26 | |
| Jan. | 564 | IDF: Janaury 28, IPS: February 28 | |
| IPS: February 3 |
Administrative detainees by duration of detention, 2009
| Duration | No. of detainees | ||
|---|---|---|---|
| As of 21 | As of 31 Oct.'09 | As of 30 Nov. '09 | |
| Jan. '09 | |||
| Under six months | 176 | 73 | 69 |
| Six months to one year | 154 | 117 | 103 |
| One year to 1 ½ years | 120 | 59 | 52 |
| 1 ½ years to two years | 56 | 42 | 41 |
| Two years to 2 ½ years | 19 | 20 | 18 |
| 2 ½ years to three years | 18 | 8 | 6 |
| Three years to 3 ½ years | 2 | ||
| 3 ½ years to four years | 2 | 1 | |
| Four years to 4 ½ years | 1 | ||
| Over 4 ½ years | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Total | 548 | 322 | 291 |
Administrative detainees by month ,2001-2008
2008
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics |
| Dec. |
0
|
546 | IDF: Dec. 28 IPS: Dec. 31 |
| Nov. |
0
|
569 | IDF: Nov. 30 IPS: Nov. 30 |
| Oct. |
0
|
578
|
IDF: Oct. 29 IPS: Oct. 31 |
| Sept. |
1
|
598 | IDF: Sept. 29 IPS: Sept. 30 |
| August |
2
|
649 |
IDF: August. 29 |
| July |
*
|
691
|
IPS: July 31 |
| June |
0
|
730
|
IDF: June 30 IPS: June 30 |
| May |
0
|
761 | IPS: May 29 IPS: May 31 |
| April |
*
|
790 | IPS: April 30 |
| March |
0
|
776 | IDF:March 30 IPS:March 31 |
| Feb. |
0
|
788
|
IDF:February 29 IPS: February 28 |
| Jan. |
1
|
813
|
IDF: January 31 IPS: January 31 |
2007
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics |
| Dec. |
*
|
842 | IPS: Dec. 31 |
| Nov. |
9
|
858
|
IDF: Nov. 26 IPS: Nov. 30 |
| Oct. |
14
|
842
|
IDF: Oct. 28 IPS: Oct. 30 |
| Sept. |
1
|
836
|
IDF: Sept. 24 IPS: Sept. 29 |
| Aug. |
0
|
818 | IDF: Aug. 12 IPS: Aug. 28 |
| July |
3
|
*
|
IDF: July 18 |
| June |
*
|
831
|
IPS: June 6 |
| May |
0
|
*
|
IDF: May 13 |
| April |
0
|
809
|
IDF: April 10 IPS: April 1 |
| March |
3
|
780
|
IDF: March 4 IPS: March 5 |
| Jan. |
6
|
801
|
IDF: January 3 IPS: January 25 |
2006
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics |
| Dec. |
1
|
782 | IDF: Dec. 3 IPS: 23 Dec. |
| Nov. |
2
|
736
|
IDF: 1 Nov. IPS: 23 Nov.
|
| Oct. |
9
|
694
|
IDF: 5 Oct.
IPS: 22 Oct.
|
| Sept. |
116
|
592
|
IDF: 3 Sept.
IPS: 11 Sept. |
| July |
105
|
645
|
IDF: 18 July
IPS: 25 July |
| Jan. |
741
|
53
|
IDF: January 3
IPS: January 1
|
2005
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics |
| Dec.. |
*
|
47
|
IPS: Dec. 1 |
| Nov. |
*
|
42
|
IPS: Nov. 1 |
| Oct. |
*
|
36
|
IPS: Oct. 1 |
| Sept. |
*
|
24
|
IPS: Sept. 1 |
| Aug. |
596
|
*
|
IDF: August 1 |
| July | 604 |
*
|
IDF: July 1 |
| May |
647
|
*
|
IDF: May 1 |
| April |
704
|
*
|
IDF: April 6
|
| Jan. |
848
|
22
|
IDF: January 6 IPS: January 3 |
Note: Since February 2005, the Prisons Service has refused to provide B'Tselem with figures on detainees and prisoners on a regular, free of charge basis, as it did previously. Since then B'Tselem had to request the information monthly, under the Law on Freedom of information.
2004
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics |
| Dec. |
836
|
27
|
IDF: December 5 |
| Nov. |
831
|
27
|
IDF: November 1
IPS: November 2 |
| Oct. |
*
|
23
|
IPS: October 13
|
| Sept. |
760
|
21
|
IDF: September 2 |
| Aug. |
731
|
20
|
IDF: August 1 |
| July |
737
|
23
|
IDF: July 7 |
| June |
723
|
24
|
IDF: June 24 |
| May |
670
|
33
|
IDF: May 5 |
| April |
618
|
26
|
IDF: April 4 |
| March |
605
|
25
|
IDF: March 9 |
| Feb. |
606
|
22
|
IDF: February 1 |
| Jan. |
638
|
19
|
IDF: January 4 |
2003
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics |
| Dec. |
631
|
18
|
IDF: December 1 |
| Nov. |
659
|
20
|
IDF: November 6
IPS: November 4 |
| Oct. |
539
|
14
|
IDF: October 1 |
| Sept. |
515
|
13
|
IDF: September 4 |
| Aug. |
687
|
13
|
IDF: August 3 |
| July |
763
|
22
|
IDF: July 3 |
| June |
932
|
20
|
IDF: June 2 |
| May |
1,088
|
19
|
IDF: May 1 |
| April |
1,119
|
21
|
IDF: April 3 |
| March |
1,108
|
19
|
IDF: March 2 |
| Feb. |
1,088
|
19
|
IDF: February 5 |
| Jan. |
1,007
|
*
|
IDF: January 1 |
2002
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics |
| Dec. |
949
|
11
|
IDF: December 3 |
| Nov. |
927
|
9
|
IDF: November 4
IPS: November 3 |
| Oct. |
871
|
7
|
IDF: October 1 |
| Sept. |
857
|
10
|
IDF: September 2 |
| Aug. |
808
|
5
|
IDF: August 8 |
| July |
938
|
5
|
IDF: July 15 |
| June |
929
|
*
|
IDF: June 3 |
| May |
681
|
*
|
IDF: May 12 |
| April |
111
|
*
|
IDF: April 15 |
| March |
40
|
4
|
IDF: March 11 |
| Feb. |
*
|
*
|
IDF: * |
| Jan. |
36
|
*
|
IDF: January 24 |
2001
| Month |
|
IPS | Date of Statistics |
| December |
34
|
-
|
IDF: December 5 |
| November |
31
|
*
|
IDF: November 5
IPS: * |
| October |
26
|
1
|
IDF: October 24 |
| September |
*
|
*
|
IDF: * |
| August |
16
|
1
|
IDF: August 16 |
| July |
9
|
1
|
IDF: July 9 |
| June |
12
|
1
|
IDF: June 14 |
| May |
11
|
1
|
IDF: May 8 |
| April |
11
|
1
|
IDF: April 11 |
| March |
14
|
1
|
IDF: March 15 |
| February |
16
|
-
|
IDF: February 15 |
| January |
16
|
-
|
IDF: January 4 |
From the beginning of the intifada (December 9, 1987) until today, thousands of Palestinians have been held in administrative detention for periods ranging from six months to several years.
The following table details the number of Palestinian residents of the Occupied Territories who were held by Israel in administrative detention on particular dates since November 1989. B'Tselem does not have summary statistics on the total number of Palestinians held in administrative detention during each year .
Administrative detainees by year, 1989-2004
|
Year
|
Date
|
Number of Administrative Detainees
|
|
1989
|
November 5
|
1,794
|
|
1990
|
*
|
*
|
|
1991
|
December 30
|
348
|
|
1992
|
December 30
|
510
|
|
1993
|
December 1
|
125
|
|
1994
|
August 3
|
163
|
|
1995
|
December 27
|
224
|
|
1996
|
December 25
|
267
|
|
1997
|
December 31
|
354
|
|
1998
|
December 26
|
82
|
|
1999
|
December 23
|
18
|
|
2000
|
December 13
|
12
|
| 2001 |
December 5
|
34
|
| 2002 |
December 8
|
960
|
| 2003 |
January 1
|
1,007
|
| 2004 |
January 4
|
638
|
- Beginning in August 2008, the figures include Palestinian prisoners who are residents of East Jerusalem. In its figures for previous months and years, the IPS did not include these prisoners in their figures on Palestinian prisoners.
- Almost all Palestinian prisoners are now held in installations run by the Israel Prisons Service. On 3 October 2006, responsibility for Ofer Prison was transferred from the IDF to the IPS. Responsibility for Megiddo Prison was transferred to the IPS on 15 February 2005, and for Ketziot Prison on 1 March 2006.
- * = No statistics provided.
- Over the years, nine Israeli citizens residing in settlements in the West Bank have been administratively detained for periods up to six months.
- Between December 1999 and January 2004, Israel held Lebanese prisoners in administrative detention as hostages for potential exchanges for Israelis taken prisoner or missing from the Lebanon War. Over the years Israel released these hostages, and the last of them were released in a prisoner exchange in January 2004.