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JERUSALEM (Ma’an) -- Palestinian officials on Wednesday visited a woman in occupied East Jerusalem who the Israeli authorities have sentenced to house arrest along with her 16-year-old son ahead of his court hearing next month.

The Palestinian Committee for Prisoners' Affairs said in a statement that its head, Issa Qaraqe, along with Ramallah Governor Laila Ghannam, had visited the mother of 16-year-old Melad Mousa Najeeb.

The statement said that in an unprecedented move the Israeli authorities have sentenced the woman to house arrest along with her son ahead of his court hearing on March 7. It did not say what charges he is facing.

Qaraqe condemned her house arrest as a form of "collective punishment," and said the sentencing the mother was tantamount to "turning parents into jailers."

The statement said that due to her sentencing, Najeeb's mother had been unable go to work or seek medical care.

Qaraqe said that Israeli forces have put at least 300 Palestinian minors under house arrest over the last three years, including 60 in 2015.

Ghannam said: "Israel is committing the worst crimes ever against Palestinian children including killing, detaining them, and depriving them of their rights and childhood."

The two officials urged the international community to protect Palestinian children and condemn Israeli violations against minors.