Israel Bans Red Cross Visits Palestinian Prisoners Under Unlawful Combatants Law

Israel's Defence Minister Israel Katz has issued an order barring the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) from visiting Palestinian prisoners held under Israel's "unlawful combatants" or "illegal combatants" law, a legal category allowing indefinite detention without charge or trial and lacking recognition under international law. Katz justified the ban by claiming that Red Cross visits would "seriously harm national security," effectively ensuring these detainees remain hidden from international oversight. This order affects thousands of Palestinian prisoners, including members of Palestinian resistance elite forces, and is based on recommendations from the Shin Bet intelligence agency. Human rights organizations have condemned the practice as a form of enforced disappearance and collective punishment, highlighting reports of systematic torture, starvation, medical neglect, and rising prisoner deaths in Israeli jails since the Gaza conflict escalated. Meanwhile, the UN’s Palestinian refugee agency (UNRWA) reports that Israel continues to block its staff and humanitarian aid from entering Gaza, despite UNRWA's ongoing efforts to provide healthcare, psychosocial support, and education under extremely difficult conditions. These developments underscore the ongoing humanitarian and human rights crisis faced by Palestinians in Israeli detention and in Gaza under blockade.