ICRC Ready to Resume Visits to Palestinian Prisoners in Israeli Prisons
JAKARTA - The International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) on Tuesday expressed its readiness to resume visits to Palestinian prisoners and detainees held in Israeli detention facilities and prisons.
ICRC spokesman in the West Bank, Muhammad Abdullah, told WAFA, "We reaffirm our readiness to start visiting prisoners and detainees in various Israeli detention facilities and prisons."
"We don't have a definite date to start the visit. We are following up on this issue and waiting for a decision to allow us to enter," he explained, quoted from WAFA (1/7).
Earlier, the Israeli Knesset on Monday failed to pass a bill aimed at preventing ICRC representatives from visiting Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails or obtaining information about them.
The bill was rejected after receiving support from 36 members of parliament, while 41 members were against it. The vote was influenced by a boycott from ultra-Orthodox parties amid a dispute in the governing coalition over previously agreed legislation.
Abdullah said the results were an important reminder of the ICRC's role in monitoring conditions of detention and treatment of prisoners in accordance with the Geneva Conventions.
He explained that the organization remains engaged in dialogue with Israeli authorities in an effort to resume its work in the detention facility as soon as possible.
He pointed out that, under the Fourth Geneva Convention, the ICRC is entitled to access prisoners and meet with them individually, without the presence of Israeli officials or other representatives.
Abdullah emphasized that, in accordance with international humanitarian law, the ICRC operates in more than 130 armed conflicts around the world, without any incidents affecting any party to an armed conflict.
"We are a neutral body, and our mandate requires us, as well as all parties to the conflict, to visit places of detention and work to alleviate the suffering of civilians caught up in armed conflict," he said.