Independent civil-rights NGO in Israel since 1972
Israel's Supreme Court has ruled that the government must allow visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross to Palestinian prisoners, overturning a blanket ban imposed after the Hamas attack. The decision covers detainees in Israeli prisons and military detention and follows a joint petition by human-rights groups. The ICRC says it is ready to resume visits; rights groups hope enforcement will curb abuses.
Lebanese Christian village leaders have rejected Benjamin Netanyahu’s assertion that some southern Lebanon villages asked to be annexed by Israel. They say the claim is false and aimed at inflaming sectarian tensions. Officials emphasise safety, dignity and loyalty to Lebanon amid ongoing Israel-Hezbollah hostilities.
Several international missions call for rights protections as Israeli detention policies face renewed criticism. A Reuters-style synthesis indicates ongoing debates over administrative detention, ICRC access, and the fate of Gazan prisoners amid new IPS restrictions.
The UN has urged Palestinian authorities to end torture and arbitrary detention in the West Bank, calling for investigations and reforms. Separately, Human Rights Watch and others describe Israel’s prison practices as increasingly cruel, including a plan to surround Ketziot prison with crocodile-filled moats. MSF also calls for the release of detained Palestinian healthcare workers.