JERUSALEM

Israel's national security minister extended a ban on visits to Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails for an additional month, according to media reports on Friday.

The Maariv newspaper in Israel said Itamar Ben-Gvir “signed an order last night extending the ban on all visits to detainees by one more month.”

“Since the beginning of the war, family visits to prisoners have been completely halted,” it said.

The decision is part of a broader policy to tighten restrictions on Palestinians in prisons, according to the newspaper.

Ben-Gvir previously directed a tightening of conditions for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

As of Aug. 1, 2023, there were 9,881 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons, according to data from the Israel Prison Service.

Since the outbreak of the Israeli onslaught on the Gaza Strip last October, Israeli, Palestinian and international human rights organizations have reported deteriorating conditions in Israeli prisons, particularly in the notorious Sde Teyman prison.

Since launching a ground operation in Gaza on Oct. 27, the Israeli army has detained thousands of Palestinian civilians, including women, children and members of health and civil defense teams.

In recent months, the army has released dozens of Palestinian prisoners from Gaza in staggered intervals.

Many of those released showed signs of deteriorating health, with their bodies bearing marks of torture and medical neglect.

*Writing by Mohammad Sio