DaysofPal- In a rare ruling during the ongoing war, the Israeli Supreme Court declared on Sunday that the Israeli government has failed to provide sufficient food to Palestinian prisoners, constituting a violation of their basic rights.
The court ordered the Israeli authorities to improve both the quality and quantity of food provided to prisoners who are suffering a lot in the Israeli jails, including diseases and lack of food and medicine.
The decision follows a 2024 petition filed by two Israeli rights organizations, the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) and Gisha, which accused the government of deliberately reducing prisoners’ food rations, resulting in widespread malnutrition and starvation among Palestinian prisoners.
In a 2-to-1 ruling, the court affirmed that the Israeli government has a legal obligation to provide Palestinian prisoners with three meals a day to ensure a “basic level of existence.”
The court further noted that current conditions in Israeli detention facilities fail to meet minimum legal standards, highlighting the deteriorating situation for the Palestinian prisoners.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who calls for executing the Palestinian prisoners, criticized the ruling, asserting that the food ration reductions are intended as a “deterrent” against prisoners.
Human rights groups called for immediate enforcement of the court’s decision, emphasizing that starving prisoners cannot be justified under any circumstances.
This ruling comes at a sensitive time, as Palestinians in Gaza suffer from severe humanitarian starvation, with daily deaths caused by malnutrition and famine conditions imposed by the ongoing Israeli blockade and bombardment.
The decision is considered a rare step by the Israeli judiciary in confronting the far-right Israeli government policies during the Israeli war.
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