Gaza: The Palestinian Prisoner's Society (PPS) has condemned the decision by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to renew the ban on family visits to Palestinian detainees in Israeli prisons. The PPS described the move as part of a broader policy designed to isolate detainees completely, turning prisons into environments where violations such as torture, starvation, and concealment from the outside world can occur without oversight.
According to Palestine News and Information Agency - WAFA, the PPS argued that the renewed ban on family visits provides Israeli prisons with a greater ability to continue committing severe violations against Palestinian detainees. This decision comes in the wake of an Israeli Supreme Court ruling that deemed the prevention of visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to Palestinian detainees as unlawful. However, the PPS noted that this ruling has not resulted in any significant change in the conditions faced by detainees.
The PPS further asserted that these actions are part of a unified policy by Israeli institutions, which aims to create an environment for the continuation of crimes against Palestinian detainees. This policy is said to perpetuate their isolation, prevent effective oversight, and grant the prison system greater leeway to operate without accountability.
Highlighting the broader implications, the PPS stressed that the renewal of the ban is not an isolated measure but part of a systematic approach that has intensified since the start of what they term as genocide. The Society claims that Israeli prisons have become arenas for systematic torture, starvation, medical neglect, and other violations against Palestinian detainees.
The PPS recently engaged in meetings with ICRC teams in the occupied West Bank to discuss the consequences of the disrupted role of the committee since the alleged genocide began. The Society pointed to systematic efforts by occupation authorities to undermine the role of international institutions, preventing them from accessing detainees and enabling the continuation of crimes in the absence of independent monitoring.
In its meetings with the ICRC, the PPS called for a clear and official position from the committee to inform the international community about the ongoing prevention of visits despite the Israeli Supreme Court ruling. They urged the ICRC to disclose the obstacles imposed by the occupation that hinder its humanitarian mandate, emphasizing that the denial of family visits constitutes a grave violation of international humanitarian law.
The PPS also highlighted that Israeli authorities have issued numerous orders and laws under the pretext of a continued state of emergency, targeting detainees and legitimizing violations against them. The Society underscored the transformation of prisons into spaces devoid of oversight, where severe violations are committed as part of an integrated policy to conceal the impact of ongoing actions against Palestinian detainees from the international community.
Reiterating its call to the ICRC, the PPS urged the committee to fulfill its humanitarian role under the Geneva Conventions and take effective public steps to address the violations against Palestinian detainees. The Society emphasized the need for international intervention to compel Israeli authorities to cease the policy of isolation, resume family visits, and ensure the protection of detainees while holding perpetrators accountable.
The PPS concluded by asserting that the international community's failure to address these issues has emboldened the ongoing violations and contributed to a culture of impunity. They stressed that the denial of family contact and ICRC access are not merely rights violations but mechanisms perpetuating the ongoing crime against Palestinian detainees, necessitating urgent international action.