Defense Minister Israel Katz orders an immediate ban on Red Cross visits to imprisoned Hamas and Nukhba terrorists, citing Shin Bet warnings of potential national security threats.
In a decisive move underscoring Israel’s uncompromising stance on national security, Defense Minister Israel Katz on Wednesday signed an executive order prohibiting representatives of the International Red Cross (ICRC) from visiting imprisoned terrorists held in Israeli detention facilities.
The ban targets individuals classified as Hamas Nukhba operatives and those detained under the Imprisonment of Unlawful Combatants Law — a category that includes some of the most dangerous members of Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and affiliated terror cells.
The measure follows a classified intelligence assessment from the Shin Bet (Israel Security Agency), which warned that Red Cross access could endanger state security by enabling information leaks, communication attempts, or propaganda exploitation by terror organizations.
“The assessments presented to me leave no doubt that Red Cross visits to terrorists in prison would severely harm State security,” Katz declared. “The safety of our country and its citizens comes before all else.”
The order takes effect immediately, applying to thousands of inmates listed in a classified annex accompanying the decree. These include key operatives captured during and after the October 7 Hamas massacre, as well as foreign-linked militants currently held under security charges.
Security officials noted that the ban comes amid heightened concern over Hamas’s use of international institutions to push political narratives and gather intelligence. Israel’s move effectively cuts off a potential conduit for external manipulation within its prison system.
While humanitarian organizations are expected to protest the decision, Israeli defense officials emphasize that the Red Cross has repeatedly failed to secure even basic humanitarian access to Israeli hostages still held by Hamas in Gaza — a point of growing frustration within the Israeli government.
“Before demanding access to convicted terrorists, the Red Cross should first demand access to the Israeli hostages still trapped underground in Gaza,” one senior Israeli source said.
The order reflects a broader shift toward tighter control of security prisons and revised operational protocols in the wake of the October 7 massacre, reinforcing Israel’s message that terrorists will no longer enjoy privileges denied to their victims.
