The Israeli Supreme Court unanimously ruled that the government policy banning the ICRC from visiting Palestinian detainees must be revoked. The court determined that the ban contravened Israeli and international law and that the government had failed to provide a legal basis for the restriction. Justice Daphne Barak-Erez authored the principal opinion. The ban on ICRC visits began in October 2023, and according to the ICRC, the organization has not been able to visit any Palestinian detainees in Israeli places of detention since October 7, 2023.

The government had justified the ban by comparing conditions of Israeli hostages in Gaza, according to the Times of Israel. However, the court did not provide a timeframe for when visits must resume, the Times of Israel reported. The English Wafa agency reported that the state submitted dozens of requests for postponements and deadline extensions over a period exceeding two years.

The ruling follows a conflict triggered by a Hamas-led attack in October 2023 that killed more than 1,100 people and took more than 240 captive. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry, the Israeli army has killed more than 72,950 people in Gaza. Nearly 1.9 million Palestinians have been displaced in Gaza.