The Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ and Ex-Detainees’ Affairs has urged the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to take a clear and firm position against Israel’s renewed ban on family visits to Palestinian prisoners, warning that the measure further isolates detainees and shields reported abuses inside Israeli prisons from international scrutiny.

In a statement issued Friday, Commission head Ra’ed Abul-Homs condemned the decision by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir to renew restrictions preventing Palestinian prisoners from receiving visits from their families.

Abul-Homs said the move represents a continued policy of deliberately cutting Palestinian detainees off from the outside world and denying them contact with their families as well as access to rights and humanitarian organizations.

He described the decision as another indication of Israel’s disregard for international and United Nations institutions and called for immediate international intervention to protect the rights of Palestinian prisoners.

The Palestinian official specifically appealed to the Red Cross and other humanitarian organizations to publicly denounce what he described as Israel’s continuing violations against Palestinian detainees.

He also called on international bodies to expose Israel’s obstruction of independent monitoring and to document the conditions inside Israeli prisons through a comprehensive formal report detailing the alleged abuses.

The Commission warned that preventing family visits deprives prisoners of a fundamental humanitarian connection while making it more difficult for relatives and international organizations to obtain information about detainees’ health and treatment.

Palestinian rights organizations have repeatedly accused Israeli prison authorities of imposing harsh conditions on Palestinian detainees, including restrictions on family contact, inadequate medical care, solitary confinement and other punitive measures. Israel maintains that its prison policies are based on security considerations.

The latest dispute comes amid heightened international concern over the treatment of Palestinian prisoners and detainees since the outbreak of Israel’s war on Gaza. Palestinian officials have repeatedly called for independent international monitoring of detention facilities and greater accountability for alleged violations.

Abul-Homs said international institutions must move beyond statements of concern and take concrete steps to ensure that Palestinian prisoners are not left without protection or independent oversight.

He urged the Red Cross and humanitarian organizations to confront the restrictions directly, document alleged violations and press for the restoration of prisoners’ rights to receive family and humanitarian visits. (ILKHA)