Israeli court ends ban on Red cross visits to Palestinian detainees

Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled that members of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) should once again be allowed to visit Palestinian detainees held in Israeli prisons, effectively ending a restriction that had been in place since the start of the Gaza war, reports The National via agencies on June 4th.

The court said the original justification for the ban was no longer valid following the return of all hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7th, 2023 attack on Israel. Although Israeli authorities recovered the body of the final hostage earlier this year, the restriction on Red Cross prison visits remained in force.

The ban was introduced shortly after the conflict began and was previously upheld by the court in October. At the time, judges argued that maintaining the restriction could help support efforts to secure the return of hostages and the remains of those who had died in captivity.

The latest ruling came after a legal challenge filed in February by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), which argued that there was no longer a legal basis for preventing Red Cross access to detainees.

Writing on behalf of the court, Justice Daphne Barak-Erez criticized the government’s handling of the case. She said authorities had repeatedly requested extensions to the ban but failed to provide a detailed legal justification for its continuation.

The decision is expected to affect more than 10,000 Palestinian detainees held in Israeli custody. Red Cross visits allow independent monitoring of detainees’ welfare and help families determine whether missing relatives have been arrested or imprisoned.

Human rights organizations have previously raised concerns about conditions inside Israeli detention facilities. Former detainees have reported shortages of basic necessities and alleged mistreatment while in custody.

The ICRC welcomed the court’s decision and said it was prepared to resume visits immediately. The organization emphasized that access to detainees is protected under international humanitarian law and described the ruling as a positive development.

ACRI also welcomed the judgment, stating that it would closely monitor whether authorities fully implement the ruling and allow private, unrestricted meetings between Red Cross representatives and detainees.

The National via agencies, Maghrebi.org