Israeli Supreme Court Rules Government Deprived Palestinian Detainees of Minimum Diet

Israel's Supreme Court delivered a landmark decision on Sunday, ruling that the government has not provided Palestinian security prisoners with sufficient food to meet basic subsistence needs. The court ordered immediate improvements to prison nutrition, marking a rare judicial rebuke of government policy amid the ongoing conflict in Gaza.

The 2-1 decision followed petitions from the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) and the NGO Gisha, who alleged that National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and the Israel Prison Service (IPS) had deliberately reduced food rations to levels amounting to starvation. Testimonies from detainees described extreme hunger, rapid weight loss, and meals consisting of little more than bread and spread. Justice Daphne Barak-Erez, writing for the majority, emphasized that adequate nutrition is fundamental to the rule of law, stating that evidence raised "real doubts" about whether prisoners were receiving enough food in practice.

Judicial Rebuke and Government Response

The ruling comes at a time when Israel has detained thousands of Palestinians in connection with the war in Gaza, with many held for months without charge. Rights groups have documented widespread abuse in detention facilities, including insufficient food, poor sanitary conditions, and physical mistreatment. In March, a 17-year-old Palestinian boy died in Israeli custody, with doctors citing starvation as the likely cause.

National Security Minister Ben Gvir, who oversees the prison system, has publicly advocated for reducing prisoner conditions to the bare legal minimum. He condemned the court's decision, claiming it "defends terrorists" while Israeli hostages remain captive in Gaza. Justice Minister Yariv Levin echoed these sentiments, arguing that improving conditions for prisoners was inappropriate while hostages suffer. Despite the court's order, Ben Gvir vowed to maintain what he described as "the most minimal conditions under the law."

Human Rights Concerns and International Context

Human rights organizations welcomed the ruling as a critical affirmation of legal and humanitarian standards. ACRI called it a "crucial victory for the rule of law and human dignity," and urged immediate implementation. The group accused the prison service of turning Israeli prisons into "torture camps" and reiterated that "a state does not starve people—no matter what they have done."

The decision also comes as international agencies warn against the use of hunger as a weapon of war. United Nations officials have highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, where one in five children is malnourished and hundreds of thousands face famine-like conditions. The World Food Programme has reported that over 320,000 children under five are at risk of acute malnutrition. At the UN Food Systems Summit in July, Secretary-General António Guterres stated, "We must never accept hunger as a weapon of war."

While the Supreme Court's ruling mandates improved nutrition for Palestinian detainees, rights advocates and legal experts note that enforcement will be critical. Many remain skeptical about the government's willingness to comply, given the political climate and ongoing hostilities. Nevertheless, the decision sets a legal precedent affirming that starvation cannot be used as a tool of punishment, even in times of conflict.