Gaza: The Head of the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, Raed Abu Al-Hummos, has urged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to respond decisively to a recent directive by Israel's National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir. The directive renews a ban on visits to Palestinian detainees held in Israeli facilities.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, Abu Al-Hummos, in a statement released on Friday, criticized Ben-Gvir for perpetuating a policy that isolates detainees by blocking family and institutional visits. He emphasized that this policy violates international norms, urging the ICRC and other humanitarian bodies to condemn the actions and highlight the lack of cooperation from Israeli authorities.
Abu Al-Hummos stressed the importance of international entities asserting their rights and responsibilities without seeking approval from Israeli authorities. He called for a concerted effort to challenge the ongoing policies that have, over the past three years, increasingly violated international laws and norms.
The ban on visits, enforced since the onset of Gaza Strip aggression on October 7, 2023, has prompted human rights organizations to demand an end to measures deemed contrary to international humanitarian law, particularly the Fourth Geneva Convention, which protects detainee rights.