Israel’s Supreme Court issued a ruling on Sunday stating that the government had neglected to provide Palestinian security detainees with sufficient food for their basic needs and directed authorities to enhance their nutritional provisions. This decision marked a rare instance of the highest court in the country ruling against the government’s actions during the nearly two-year conflict.
Throughout the war’s duration, Israel has arrested numerous individuals in Gaza suspected of ties to Hamas. Many have been released without being charged, often following prolonged periods of detainment. Reports from rights organizations have highlighted widespread mistreatment in prisons and detention centers, including inadequate food and healthcare, unsanitary conditions, and physical abuse. In a tragic incident in March, a 17-year-old Palestinian prisoner died in an Israeli facility, with medical professionals attributing starvation as a significant factor in his death.
The recent ruling stemmed from a petition filed last year by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) and the Israeli rights group Gisha. These organizations alleged that a post-war shift in food policies had led to malnutrition and starvation among prisoners.
Last year, Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, responsible for overseeing the prison system, proudly declared that he had reduced the conditions for security detainees to the minimum levels mandated by Israeli law. However, the Supreme Court’s panel of three justices, in a 2-1 decision, determined that the state had a legal obligation to provide prisoners with adequate food to sustain a basic standard of living.
The justices expressed concerns that the current food supply to prisoners did not meet the necessary standards and instructed the prison service to ensure that food provisions aligned with the law to guarantee basic living conditions. Ben-Gvir criticized the court’s ruling, emphasizing the maintenance of minimal legal conditions for prisoners.
ACRI urged the immediate implementation of the court’s decision, condemning the prison service for transforming Israeli prisons into places of torment. The organization stated that it is unacceptable for a state or individuals to subject others to starvation, regardless of their actions.