The Israeli Supreme Court’s ruling to lift the ban on Red Cross visits to Palestinian detainees is a step in the right direction, though long overdue.
While oversight mechanisms must be enabled, the judiciary bears responsibility for complicity in legitimising violations in prisons.
Due to the policy of systematic torture in Israeli prisons, around 100 Palestinian detainees have died in custody since October 2023. The Israeli judiciary has failed to hold perpetrators accountable, repeatedly offered excuses for ongoing crimes, and shielded those responsible.
The Israeli government must implement the Court’s ruling, permit all relevant organisations to visit Palestinian prisoners and detainees in every prison and detention centre, offer them legal and psychological support, and accurately and independently document their conditions.