Israeli Supreme Court strikes down ban on Red Cross prison visits

JERUSALEM, June 4 - Israel's Supreme Court has said Israel must allow visits to Palestinian prisoners by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), ruling in favour of a petition against a ban that was brought in at the start of the Gaza war.

The bar on Red Cross visits to Palestinian detainees has restricted independent verification of their treatment, following reports of systemic abuse, starvation, and denial of medical care towards Palestinian prisoners.

“We take note of the decision of the court and stand ready to resume our work in visiting detainees in Israeli places of detention," said Patrick Griffiths, a spokesperson for the ICRC.

The ruling, which was issued late on Wednesday and covers those held in Israeli prisons and military detention, followed a joint petition by several Israeli rights organizations including the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) to end the ban.

The Israel Prison Service, the Israeli prime minister's office and the Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.

The court found that the prohibition on ICRC prison visits had no adequate basis in Israeli law or in Israel’s binding international humanitarian obligations, ACRI said in a statement on Wednesday.

The Israeli state had argued that security interests demanded it suspend ICRC visits until all Israeli hostages were returned following the October 7, 2023 Hamas-led attack on Israel. Some 1,200 people were killed and more than 250 taken hostage in the attack.

Israel jailed thousands of Palestinians in Gaza and the West Bank following the attack, as it launched a military campaign that left Gaza largely in ruins and killed tens of thousands of people. According to Palestinian rights group Addameer, more than 9,000 Palestinians remain in prison, with over 3,000 jailed without charge.

The ban on visits remained in place after the last hostage was returned in 2026, but according to ACRI, the court found that even before then the ban failed to meet legal standards.

The Supreme Court previously ruled that prisons were failing to provide enough food for Palestinian detainees and ordered conditions be improved, though prisoners continued to complain of a lack of food months later.

ACRI will monitor enforcement of the ruling on Red Cross visits, the group's Karen Saar said. REUTERS