Israeli supreme court strikes down ban on Red Cross visits to Palestinian detainees

Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled that a government policy introduced in October 2023 preventing the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from visiting Palestinian prisoners and detainees or relaying information about them was unlawful. The court struck down the policy after the state failed for more than two years to provide any legal basis justifying its continuation. The ruling was issued unanimously by a panel including Justice Daphne Barak-Erez, who wrote the main judgment. The court concluded that the government had failed to present any legal foundation for the policy, despite being given “countless opportunities” throughout the proceedings to clarify its position and establish a legal justification. Barak-Erez said the case had been marked by exceptional circumstances, noting that […]