Israel must allow aid to Palestinian prisoners, British lawyers tell ICJ

British government lawyers have said Israel is bound by the Geneva conventions to give the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) access to Palestinian prisoners, and cannot justify its refusal to do so by pointing to Hamas's treatment of Israeli hostages.

- Patrick Wintour

Speaking on the fourth day of proceedings at the international court of justice (ICJ) in The Hague, Sally Langrish said: "There have been repeated credible reports of ill-treatment of Palestinian detainees held in Israeli custody" since the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israel.

She said the refusal of Hamas to give the ICRC access to Israeli hostages seized during the attacks could not serve as justification for Israel's actions. She added that the ICRC played a vital role in protecting and promoting the lives and dignity of the victims of armed conflict.

The lawyers also clashed with Israel by insisting that Unrwa, the UN's Palestinian relief agency, should be regarded as a neutral and impartial body with which the Israeli government had a duty to cooperate to provide aid to the Palestinian people.