Palestinian organisations have warned that Israeli authorities are escalating restrictions on lawyers monitoring the cases of detainees in Israeli prisons. The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Society stated that lawyers are facing mounting obstacles during prison visits and court hearings, with some even threatened with punitive measures if they attempt to deliver family greetings or messages.

Since the beginning of the war on Gaza, lawyers were initially barred entirely from visiting prisoners. While limited access has since resumed, prison administrations continue to obstruct visits by declaring “states of emergency” on arrival or delaying responses to requests for weeks or months, particularly in cases involving those serving life sentences. Several lawyers have also been banned outright for consecutive months.

The groups further highlighted alarming reports of detainees being assaulted or threatened around the time of legal consultations, as well as the continued enforced disappearance of many Gazans detained since the outbreak of the war. Human rights bodies attempting to track these cases have been met with severe restrictions, with only a handful of detainees allowed visits under extreme security measures.