Palestinian schoolgirls detained in Damon Prison as exams and schooling are suspended
Two Palestinian schoolgirls detained in Damon Prison disrupt their education at critical exam time, facing repeated court postponements and reported harsh conditions.
Two underage Palestinian students, among the youngest female detainees, remain held in Israel’s Damon Prison after separate pre-dawn raids, forcing both to miss critical school milestones and casting doubt on their immediate academic futures. The phrase Palestinian schoolgirls detained encapsulates the families’ concerns as the girls — 17-year-old Nada Bani Odeh and 16-year-old Ola Qutaishat — wait for court outcomes while separated from their classrooms and textbooks.
Arrests During Pre-dawn Raids
Nada’s family says soldiers entered their home before dawn on 12 February and asked directly for the “tawjihi” student, the final-year secondary pupil preparing for national exams. Her mother recalled that Nada calmly dressed, handed over her phone and reassured the family as she was escorted away.
Ola’s family reports a similar scene on 24 May, when armed forces entered their house while she was asleep after studying for an English exam. Witnesses say soldiers photographed and handcuffed the 16-year-old in front of relatives and left without explaining the basis for the arrest.
Education Interrupted at Critical Moment
Nada had been preparing to sit the tawjihi exams this summer, a decisive point for university entrance and future plans, while Ola had just completed 11th grade and was due to return for her final year. Both families say the arrests have interrupted established study routines and put university ambitions on hold.
From detention, the girls’ concerns, as relayed through lawyers and recently released prisoners, have remained focused on school: grades, classmates and whether they will be able to resume studies after release. Families describe messages that emphasize determination to continue education despite uncertainty.
Court Delays Leave Detainees in Limbo
Both cases have experienced repeated hearings and frequent postponements, according to family accounts, leaving the girls in prolonged legal limbo. Lawyers for the families say military courts have repeatedly adjourned proceedings, with at least one military judge reportedly questioning prosecutors about the readiness of a case.
The delays have converted court dates into the measure of time for the detainees, displacing academic calendars and creating anxiety about how long their education will be suspended. Families say the lack of clear timelines compounds the emotional strain on young defendants and their relatives.
Conditions Reported Inside Damon Prison
According to legal representatives and family testimony, Nada and Ola have been held in a separate section of Damon Prison for underage female detainees, isolated from the broader female prisoner population. Reports describe periods of near-total isolation, constant surveillance and limited privacy, including restricted access to sanitary supplies.
A lawyer representing detainees has described systemic problems at the facility: overcrowding, poor ventilation, inadequate food, limited medical care and frequent strip searches. Advocates warn that these conditions are especially damaging for minors and can have lasting physical and psychological impacts.
Families Describe Emotional Toll
Both mothers and siblings recounted small domestic rituals and shared conversations that abruptly ceased after the arrests, describing a home altered by absence and grief. Nada’s mother recalled her daughter’s last words before being taken and the ongoing messages urging her not to cry and promising to return and continue her studies.
Ola’s sister described trying to physically shield her from the soldiers and repeatedly asking why a 16-year-old was being detained. Relatives say daily life has been overshadowed by court dates, uncertainty and a desire simply to hold their daughters again.
Legal Advocates Raise Broader Concerns
Lawyers working on behalf of Palestinian detainees say the cases of underage girls held on charges related to social media posts or alleged “incitement” are not isolated. They argue that repeated adjournments and the conditions reported at Damon Prison form part of wider patterns affecting detained minors.
Official tallies cited by families note that the Israel Prison Service was holding several hundred Palestinian minors under “security” grounds alongside others detained for entering Israel illegally, underscoring the scale of youth detention in the current context. Advocacy groups and counsel say expedited legal review and improved detention conditions for minors should be priorities.
The young detainees’ focus on education — expressed in messages and family testimony — highlights the stakes for students removed from school at pivotal moments. The cases of Nada and Ola have become, for their communities, immediate examples of how detention can abruptly sever adolescents from schooling and future prospects.
As the legal processes continue, families and legal representatives urge clearer information, faster hearings and humane treatment consistent with protections for minors. The detainees’ expressed desire to return to classrooms and complete exams remains central to the families’ appeals and a measure of the personal losses that follow arrest.
