The Israeli Supreme Court has ruled that thousands of Palestinians in Israeli prisons are being deliberately deprived of food. A panel of three judges from the Israeli Supreme Court examined this case at the request of two Israeli human rights organizations. The case was reviewed despite the fact that Israel had been launching aggressive attacks on Gaza since October 7, 2023, with the Supreme Court remaining largely silent on the matter for nearly two years.
The Israeli Supreme Court’s decision states that it is legally obligatory for Israel to provide prisoners under its custody with three meals a day. The court has ordered the relevant authorities to fulfill this responsibility. The Israeli Supreme Court has also decided to accept two petitions submitted by two Israeli organizations, supporting their allegations that the government is intentionally withholding food from prisoners. The Israelis continue to severely restrict access to food for Palestinians in Israeli prisons as well as for the residents of Gaza, deliberately starving them. Many people in Gaza are being martyred daily due to hunger and malnutrition.
Since the start of the Gaza war, Israel has imprisoned and detained thousands of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank. On multiple occasions, liberated Gaza residents have reported that prisoners in overcrowded Israeli jails are being deprived of food, subjected to abuse, and denied medical care, leaving them in poor health conditions.
