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| Israel’s top court says government is not giving Palestinian prisoners enough food | Israel’s top court says government is not giving Palestinian prisoners enough food |
| (3 days later) | |
| Justices rule state is legally obliged to ensure ‘basic level of existence’ and orders authorities to improve nutrition | Justices rule state is legally obliged to ensure ‘basic level of existence’ and orders authorities to improve nutrition |
| Israel’s supreme court has ruled that the government has failed to provide Palestinian security prisoners with adequate food for basic subsistence and ordered authorities to improve their nutrition. | Israel’s supreme court has ruled that the government has failed to provide Palestinian security prisoners with adequate food for basic subsistence and ordered authorities to improve their nutrition. |
| Sunday’s decision was a rare case in which the country’s highest court ruled against the government’s conduct during the nearly two-year war. | Sunday’s decision was a rare case in which the country’s highest court ruled against the government’s conduct during the nearly two-year war. |
| Since the war began, Israel has seized thousands of people in Gaza that it suspects of having links to Hamas. Thousands have also been released without charge, often after months of detention. | Since the war began, Israel has seized thousands of people in Gaza that it suspects of having links to Hamas. Thousands have also been released without charge, often after months of detention. |
| Rights groups have documented widespread abuse in prisons and detention facilities, including insufficient food and health care, as well as poor sanitary conditions and beatings. In March, a 17-year-old Palestinian boy died at an Israeli prison and doctors said starvation was likely the main cause of death. | Rights groups have documented widespread abuse in prisons and detention facilities, including insufficient food and health care, as well as poor sanitary conditions and beatings. In March, a 17-year-old Palestinian boy died at an Israeli prison and doctors said starvation was likely the main cause of death. |
| The ruling came in response to a petition brought last year by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) and the Israeli rights group Gisha. The groups alleged that a change in the food policy enacted after the war in Gaza began has caused prisoners to suffer malnutrition and starvation. | The ruling came in response to a petition brought last year by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) and the Israeli rights group Gisha. The groups alleged that a change in the food policy enacted after the war in Gaza began has caused prisoners to suffer malnutrition and starvation. |
| Last year, the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the prison system, boasted that he had reduced the conditions of security prisoners to what he described as the bare minimum required by Israeli law. | Last year, the national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who oversees the prison system, boasted that he had reduced the conditions of security prisoners to what he described as the bare minimum required by Israeli law. |
| In Sunday’s ruling, the panel of three justices ruled unanimously that the state is legally obliged to provide prisoners with enough food to ensure “a basic level of existence”. | In Sunday’s ruling, the panel of three justices ruled unanimously that the state is legally obliged to provide prisoners with enough food to ensure “a basic level of existence”. |
| In an unexpected 2-1 decision, the court furthermore accepted the petition filed last year by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel, or ACRI, and the Israeli rights group Gisha, siding with their allegations that the government’s deliberate restriction of prisoners’ food in Israeli detention facilities has caused Palestinians to suffer malnutrition and starvation during the Israel-Hamas war. | |
| Ben-Gvir, who leads a small far-right ultranationalist party, lashed out at the ruling, saying that while Israeli hostages in Gaza have no one to help them, Israel’s supreme court “to our disgrace” is defending Hamas militants. He said the policy of providing prisoners with “the most minimal conditions stipulated by the law” would continue unchanged. | Ben-Gvir, who leads a small far-right ultranationalist party, lashed out at the ruling, saying that while Israeli hostages in Gaza have no one to help them, Israel’s supreme court “to our disgrace” is defending Hamas militants. He said the policy of providing prisoners with “the most minimal conditions stipulated by the law” would continue unchanged. |
| ACRI called for the verdict to be implemented immediately. In a post on X, it said the prison service has “turned Israeli prisons into torture camps”. | ACRI called for the verdict to be implemented immediately. In a post on X, it said the prison service has “turned Israeli prisons into torture camps”. |
| “A state does not starve people,” it said. “People do not starve people – no matter what they have done.” | “A state does not starve people,” it said. “People do not starve people – no matter what they have done.” |
| This article was amended on 10 September 2025 to clarify that the Supreme Court of Israel made multiple rulings, not one. |