The UN deputy high commissioner for human rights, Kate Gilmore has condemned the continued arbitrary detention of Palestinian children by Israel, saying the practice has become systematic and widely spread.

Addressing the UN Human Rights Council in Geneva, she said the past year saw hundreds of Palestinian children detained by Israel, some without charge under administrative detention.

She said a series of UN reports show that the living conditions of Palestinians across the West Bank and Gaza have dramatically worsened over the past year and children are bearing the brunt of the Israeli occupation.