Supreme Court Orders Red Cross to Resume Visits to Terrorists in Israeli Prisons

Representatives of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) are expected to resume visits to security prisoners in Israeli jails this week, for the first time since the October 7th Hamas attacks. Security officials are preparing for these visits, which could begin as early as Wednesday. The ICRC's access to security prisoners was halted in October 2023 when then-Defense Minister Israel Katz signed an order prohibiting such visits. This decision followed intelligence from the Shin Bet suggesting that ICRC personnel had passed information to incarcerated terrorists, which Katz stated could "severely harm the state's security."

However, in early June, the Supreme Court unanimously ruled on a petition against the blanket ban on Red Cross visits to security prisoners held in Israel Prison Service and IDF facilities, as well as against the denial of information regarding them. The court found that the state had failed to present a legal basis for its decisions, despite being given opportunities to do so.

Following the court's ruling, the government attempted to delay its implementation until after elections. Concurrently, a legislative proposal by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir's party, aimed at addressing the Red Cross issue, failed in the Knesset when ultra-Orthodox parties withheld their support, demanding progress on draft exemption laws first.

ICRC representatives have now been instructed to travel to Israel, and preparations for resuming the visits are underway. Minister Ben-Gvir strongly criticized the Supreme Court's decision, calling it a "direct blow to Israel's security deterrence." He argued that the security situation has improved, citing a 75% decrease in attacks according to the Shin Bet, partly due to the reform in terrorist conditions in prisons. Ben-Gvir also stated that the Supreme Court "consistently serves as a address for the enemy's appeals."