Israel's Supreme Court: Palestinian Prisoners Are Not Being Given Enough Food

The court was hearing petitions filed by the human rights organizations ACRI (Association for Civil Rights in Israel) and Gisha, which accused the authorities of enforcing a systemic policy of food deprivation. The petitioners highlighted the severe conditions inside prisons, where inmates complained of inadequate meals and deteriorating health.

While the three-judge bench stopped short of issuing a final direction, they stressed that the state is obligated to provide food that meets minimum nutritional standards.

In their remarks on Sunday, the judges noted that the present situation raised “serious concern” about whether prisoners were being given enough to sustain themselves. The acknowledgment marked a rare intervention by the top court into prison management during wartime.

The observations immediately triggered a sharp response from Ben-Gvir, who oversees Israel’s prison service. Dismissing the court’s findings, he argued that Palestinian prisoners should only receive the bare minimum required by law and accused the judiciary of granting them privileges that exceed those available to Israeli hostages held in Gaza.

Human rights organisations welcomed the court’s recognition of the issue, insisting that starvation and food deprivation cannot be justified under any circumstance. They described the prison conditions as a breach of Israel’s legal obligations and basic humanitarian principles.

The controversy has once again underscored the growing rift between Israel’s judiciary and members of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s right-wing government, with the treatment of Palestinian prisoners emerging as a fresh flashpoint in the country’s ongoing conflict.

Since the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attack, which killed approximately 1,200 Israelis, thousands of Palestinians have been detained, many without charges. Rights groups have consistently raised alarms over substandard prison conditions, including overcrowding, inadequate medical care, poor hygiene, and insufficient food. There have been reports of several deaths in custody.