JERUSALEM: 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 conflict.

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 organisations including the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) to end the ban. The Israel Prison Service said it implements the decisions of the competent courts, but did not have any details to provide on the timing of future visits.

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.

Published in Dawn, June 5th, 2026