Israeli Supreme court rules govt deliberately denying food to Palestinian prisoners

Srinagar, Sept 08: In a rare ruling, Israel’s Supreme Court has stated that the government is deliberately denying thousands of Palestinian prisoners the minimum food required for daily subsistence amid the ongoing war on Gaza.

The three-judge panel, which has largely avoided challenging the government or military throughout the 23 months of conflict in the besieged and heavily bombarded territory, took up the matter following a petition filed by two Israeli human rights groups.

“We are not speaking here of comfortable living or luxury, but of the basic conditions of survival as required by law,” the ruling said.

As per reports, it ruled unanimously on Sunday that the Israeli government had a legal duty to provide Palestinian prisoners with three meals a day to ensure “a basic level of existence” and ordered authorities to fulfil that obligation.

Formerly released prisoners have reported harsh conditions in Israeli military detention, citing torture, abuse, starvation, denial of medical care, overcrowding, and disease.

According to Palestinian authorities, they have recorded the deaths at least 61 Palestinians in Israeli custody since the war started. In March, a 17-year-old Palestinian in Israeli prison died of what doctors said was likely starvation as per various reports.

As per reports, in a two-to-one ruling, the court upheld a petition filed last year by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) and Gisha, agreeing that the government’s deliberate restriction of food in detention facilities has subjected Palestinian prisoners to malnutrition and starvation.