Israel’s Top Court Orders Improved Nutrition for Palestinian Detainees
Israel’s Supreme Court has ruled that the government has not provided sufficient food for Palestinian detainees, ordering authorities to enhance their nutritional provisions.
Sunday’s decision marked a rare instance in which the country’s highest court ruled against the government’s actions during the nearly two-year conflict.
Since the conflict began, Israel has detained thousands of individuals from Gaza on suspicion of ties to Hamas. Many have been released without charges, often after prolonged confinement.
Reports from rights organizations have documented severe mistreatment in detention centers, including inadequate food and medical care, unsanitary conditions, and physical abuse. In March, a 17-year-old Palestinian boy died in custody, with doctors citing malnutrition as a probable cause.
The ruling responded to a petition filed last year by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) and Gisha, an Israeli rights group. They argued that changes to the food policy enacted after the war began had led to malnutrition and starvation among detainees.
Last year, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the prison system, publicly stated that he had reduced conditions for detainees to what he called the legal minimum.
The court’s three-judge panel unanimously ruled that the state must ensure detainees receive enough food to sustain basic living standards. In a 2-1 decision, the justices noted “signs that the current food provisions fail to meet legal requirements” and raised “serious concerns” about proper nourishment. They ordered prison authorities to take action to provide adequate meals in compliance with the law.
Ben-Gvir, leader of a far-right nationalist party, condemned the ruling, claiming that while Israeli hostages in Gaza receive no assistance, the Supreme Court is “shamefully” protecting Hamas militants. He vowed to maintain the policy of providing detainees with only the legally mandated minimum.
ACRI urged immediate implementation of the ruling, stating in a social media post that the prison system had turned facilities into “sites of suffering.”
“No state should let people starve,” it said. “No one should be deprived of basic sustenance—regardless of their actions.”
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