Israeli Supreme Court strikes down ban on Red Cross prison visits

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.