Occupied Palestine (QNN)- Israel continues to bar the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from visiting Palestinian detainees amid reports of torture, mistreatment and medical negligence, despite a unanimous ruling by Israel’s top court ordering the visits to be reinstated and repeated calls from human rights groups for their resumption.
More than two months after Israel’s top court unanimously ordered the state to reinstate Red Cross visits to Palestinian detainees, Israel continues to bar the visits.
On Thursday, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) wrote to Israel Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi and Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, urging them to address the continued suspension and warning that it constitutes a violation of the court’s ruling.
The human rights group requested an urgent response from both officials.
Immediately after Israel launched its genocidal war against Palestinians in Gaza in October 2023, Israel implemented a sweeping policy that for the first time imposed a blanket ban on visits by the International Red Cross to detainees held in Israel Prison Service and military facilities.
At the same time, by order of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, the detainees' detention conditions were severely tightened, and according to testimonies and rights groups, the detainees suffered from hunger, violence, abuse, and medical negligence.
Given the circumstances, the High Court of Justice accepted petitions from the Association for Civil Rights in Israel and other organizations, and ordered the state to resume Red Cross visits.
The court ruled that the policy violated existing law and must be annulled. However, last month, the Israel Prison Service commissioner introduced new rules that make it difficult for the Red Cross to visit detainees held in Israel Prison Service and military facilities.
According to information obtained by Haaretz, the new policy was adopted without consulting Attorney General Gali Baharav-Miara, even though it could have international legal and diplomatic implications.
Among other things, the Israel Prison Service limited the number of Red Cross visits to one visit per quarter and requires the agency to submit in advance a list of no more than five prisoners it wishes to visit.
The regulations also bar the ICRC from visiting certain categories of “security prisoners” and detainees under any circumstances, including those the IPS classifies as "highly violent," as well as prisoners held in solitary confinement or under interrogation. In addition, each visit is limited to 30 minutes, with prison commanders authorized to cut meetings short at their discretion.
