Israel Draws Red Line: Katz Blocks Red Cross Access to Hamas Prisoners

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The Judean Staff
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Israel Bars Red Cross Visits to Terror Prisoners: “No Humanitarian Privileges for Those Who Show None”

In a move underscoring Israel’s shifting stance toward international organizations that have long demanded moral symmetry between terrorists and their victims, Defense Minister Yisrael Katz has signed an executive order banning all visits by the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) to prisoners held under the Law on the Imprisonment of Unlawful Combatants, a category encompassing thousands of Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives captured since the October 7, 2023 massacre.

The decision, taken after consultations with the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency) and senior military intelligence officials, followed a security review that concluded such visits posed “a clear and present danger to state security.” The classified assessment reportedly detailed how Red Cross visits could enable terrorist communication, intelligence leaks, and propaganda coordination within the prison system.

“The opinions presented to me leave no doubt,” said Katz in a statement. “Allowing Red Cross visits to convicted terrorists would seriously harm the security of the State of Israel. The security of our citizens will always come first.”

A Cabinet Divided

The decision did not come easily. Inside the Israeli government, the debate was fierce and deeply ideological.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Israel Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi led the faction demanding a total ban, arguing that humanitarian organizations should not be granted access to individuals who celebrated the slaughter of Israelis. “Those who burn babies alive and kidnap children don’t get family visits, Red Cross privileges, or sympathy,” Ben-Gvir reportedly told the cabinet.

On the other side stood the National Security Council (NSC), quietly supported by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, which favored a limited restoration of Red Cross access, a gesture meant to ease international criticism. Yet after weeks of pressure and warnings from the Prison Service that any such visits could lead to security breaches or coordinated riots, Katz ultimately sided with Ben-Gvir’s camp, sealing the decision with his signature.

Last month, Netanyahu had pulled the issue from the Security Cabinet agenda after realizing he lacked the votes to pass the NSC’s proposal. Sources familiar with that meeting say several ministers accused the Red Cross of “performative outrage”, expressing concern for Palestinian detainees while ignoring Israeli hostages still held in Gaza.

Red Cross’ Moral Credibility in Question

The International Committee of the Red Cross, headquartered in Geneva, prides itself on neutrality. Yet for many Israelis, the organization’s neutrality died on October 7, 2023, when Hamas massacred 1,200 people and abducted hundreds more, and the Red Cross did nothing.

For nearly two years, despite dozens of hostage pleas, global media campaigns, and formal Israeli requests, the Red Cross has failed to visit even a single hostage held in Gaza. Nor has it delivered a single parcel of medicine, water, or proof of life to Israel’s captives. Families of hostages say that the organization has been “complicit through silence.”

“If the Red Cross can’t reach our children held underground by Hamas,” said one hostage family spokesperson, “then it has no moral authority to demand entry into Israeli prisons where terrorists are well-fed, clothed, and alive.”

Israeli officials note that while the ICRC condemned recent hostage videos released by Hamas, its condemnation has not been matched by action. The organization continues to insist on “equal treatment” between prisoners in lawful detention and hostages held in terror tunnels, a comparison Israeli leaders call obscene.

No Parity Between Murderers and Victims

For Katz, the issue is about principle as much as security. The defense minister has made clear that Israel will not reward humanitarian hypocrisy.

Until the Red Cross fulfills its basic humanitarian obligations, by demanding and securing access to Israeli hostages in Gaza, it will not be permitted to enter Israeli prisons. The ban, covering thousands of Hamas and Islamic Jihad operatives, will remain in place indefinitely.

In the words of a senior government source:

“There will be no parity between murderers and the innocent. The Red Cross cannot come knocking on Israel’s doors while turning a blind eye to the cries from Hamas tunnels. Humanitarianism cannot be one-sided.”

Editorial Perspective

The move marks a broader realignment in Israel’s approach to international double standards. For years, Jerusalem tolerated humanitarian organizations that moralized from Geneva while ignoring Jewish blood spilled in Sderot, Be’eri, and Ofakim. Today, that patience has run out.

Israel’s message is unmistakable:
If the Red Cross wants access to Gaza’s terrorists, it should first find its way into Gaza’s tunnels.

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