Government must provide food to prisoners: Israeli Supreme Court orders

In a milestone decision, the Israeli Supreme Court has ordered to provision of three meals a day to all Palestinian prisoners, who have been deliberately kept hungry.

According to Al Jazeera, the decision came after two Israeli human rights groups, Gisha and the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI), filed a complaint, claiming that Palestinian prisoners were being intentionally starved and were not getting enough food during the current Israel-Hamas conflict.

The petition also stated that, Israeli government is violating basic human rights by the cheap act of keeping the Palestinian prisoners starving.

In response, the three-judge panel of the Israeli Supreme Court ordered the government to provide three meals a day to all Palestinian detainees, ensuring a minimum diet. The court stressed that the issue is not one of comfort or luxury, but of survival. “We are not speaking here of comfortable living or luxury, but of the basic circumstances of survival as required by law. Let us not share in the ways of our worst enemies.” The court stated.

Since the war began after the Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, thousands of Palestinians have been arrested without being given formal charges.

Many released Palestinian prisoners have reported congested conditions, lack of medical care, and intense food shortages.

The ruling is an unusual case of a court getting involved during a war. It questions the rules set by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who had claimed he was making prison conditions as basic as possible.

Read More: Pakistan condemns Israel’s plan to displace Palestinians

Earlier, Pakistan strongly condemned the recent statements by the Israeli occupying power, expressing its intention to forcibly displace Palestinians from their land.

“Such actions are a clear violation of international law and a deliberate attempt to sabotage efforts for achieving peace and stability in the region,” Pakistan’s Foreign Office said in a statement.

It added that forced displacement and continued expansion of illegal settlements reflect Israel’s disregard for international human rights and humanitarian law.