Israel's Supreme Court has said that 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 war.
In its judgment issued on Wednesday, the court found that the government had not offered sufficient justification for the blanket ban.
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 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, the Israeli prime minister's office and the Israeli military did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
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, the ACRI said in a statement on Wednesday.
The Israeli state had argued that security interests demanded it suspend ICRC visits until all Israeli hostages were returned following the events of October 7, 2023.