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Defense Minister Israel Katz announced Wednesday that he has signed an order barring International Red Cross representatives from visiting Palestinian prisoners, including Hamas terrorists who took part in the October 7 massacre. According to the Defense Ministry, the order applies to all inmates defined as “unlawful combatants” and was issued “based on professional assessments from the Shin Bet,” which concluded that such visits could jeopardize Israel’s security. “The intelligence presented to me leaves no doubt that Red Cross visits to imprisoned terrorists would severely harm Israel’s security,” Katz said in a statement. “The safety of the state and its citizens comes first.” The decision followed a tense debate within the government. National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and the Israel Prison Service strongly opposed allowing Red Cross visits, while the National Security Council (NSC) supported them, reportedly with backing from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. After intense pressure from Ben-Gvir and the prison service, Katz ultimately adopted their position and signed the order blocking the visits. Last month, Netanyahu removed the issue from the security cabinet’s agenda after realizing he lacked a majority to approve the NSC’s proposal permitting limited Red Cross access to Palestinian prisoners. Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi had warned the cabinet that the move posed a “security risk.” The Red Cross, which operates independently of the United Nations, is headquartered in Geneva and has long been viewed by Israel as less hostile than other international organizations such as UNRWA or the UN Human Rights Council. However, Israeli officials have criticized the Red Cross for failing to visit or deliver medical aid to Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza for nearly two years. While Israeli leaders noted a recent shift in the organization’s tone following global outrage over videos of hostages, they said the Red Cross still has not translated its words into action. Israel maintains that, until the organization fulfills its humanitarian obligations toward Israeli captives, it has no standing to demand access to convicted terrorists in Israeli prisons.
