Arabic version: محكمة إسرائيل العليا تأمر بالسماح للصليب الأحمر بالوصول إلى المعتقلين الفلسطينيين

Israel’s Supreme Court has unanimously rejected a government policy that barred representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from visiting Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. The ruling, delivered on Wednesday, emphasized that the government’s restrictions violated both Israeli and international law, necessitating an immediate repeal of the policy.

According to Al Jazeera, the court found that the government had not provided a legal basis for its decision to annul all visits following the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in significant casualties and numerous captives. The ICRC had not been allowed to visit prisoners since the attack, marking the first time in 50 years that such visits were prohibited.

The ruling brings hope to the over 9,000 Palestinian security prisoners currently held in Israeli prisons and military detention centers, who will soon receive visits from the Red Cross. The Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), which filed the petition, noted that the ban on visits persisted even after a ceasefire was agreed upon last October.

The ICRC welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision, expressing readiness to resume its visits and emphasizing the importance of access to detainees as mandated by international law. The organization stated it is in ongoing discussions with Israeli authorities to facilitate the resumption of its work in detention facilities.

This ruling comes at a time when there are serious concerns regarding the treatment of Palestinian detainees. A recent United Nations report highlighted incidents of torture and sexual violence against detainees by Israeli armed forces, underscoring the urgency of the court’s decision to allow ICRC access.