LONDON: Palestinian rights organisations have expressed concerns over a proposed Israeli bill that would bar representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from entering Israeli prisons and visiting Palestinian detainees.
The Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society said the legislation was introduced this week by the Israeli Knesset’s National Security Committee. According to the groups, the measure would formalise restrictions that have already been imposed on Red Cross access to Palestinian prisoners.
Since Israel’s occupation of the Palestinian territories in 1967, ICRC representatives have been permitted to visit Palestinian detainees and facilitate communication with their families.
However, Palestinian organisations say that following the outbreak of the Gaza war in late 2023, Israeli authorities largely suspended such visits for more than 9,000 Palestinian prisoners.
Last week, Israel’s High Court of Justice ruled that the policy lacked a legal basis and was therefore unlawful.
Palestinian rights groups argue that the proposed legislation seeks to override the court’s decision and provide legal cover for the continued denial of Red Cross access to detainees.
In a statement cited by the Palestine News Agency, the organisations said the bill aims to institutionalise what they described as serious violations against Palestinians and to entrench policies affecting prisoners held in Israeli detention facilities.
The groups further contended that the legislation is intended to circumvent the High Court’s ruling and maintain restrictions on independent monitoring of prison conditions.
The development comes amid growing concerns over the treatment of Palestinian detainees. According to Palestinian organisations, thousands of Palestinians remain in Israeli prisons, where conditions have reportedly deteriorated since October 2023.
They say dozens of prisoners have died in custody during this period, while calls for greater international oversight of detention facilities continue to mount.
