Palestinian terrorists and members of the Red Cross gather near vehicles on the day Hamas hands over deceased hostages Oded Lifschitz, Shiri Bibas, and her two children Kfir and Ariel Bibas, seized during the deadly Oct. 7, 2023, attack, to the Red Cross, as part of a ceasefire and hostages-prisoners swap deal between Hamas and Israel, in Khan Younis in the southern Gaza Strip, Feb. 20, 2025. Photo: REUTERS/Hatem Khaled

This week, the Israeli Supreme Court heard petitions by left-wing organizations demanding that Israel permit Red Cross visits for all imprisoned terrorists — including Hamas terrorists who raped and murdered Israelis on October 7.

Israel has thus far barred all visits to terrorists, using this as leverage to pressure Hamas to allow Red Cross visits to the Israeli hostages kidnapped on October 7, 2023.

However, according to press reports, the government failed to present in court one of the most critical arguments against such visits: If Israel permits Red Cross access to Hamas terrorists, they will begin receiving monthly salaries from the Palestinian Authority (PA).

Under PA law, imprisoned terrorists do not receive their monthly salaries — known as Pay-for-Slay — until the Red Cross verifies their arrest and provides a Power of Attorney form, signed by the prisoner, to the PA Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs.

The PA Law of Prisoners states:

Clause 3 – Documentation
“For the purpose of the payment of a prisoner’s monthly salary, his relatives are required to present the necessary documentation to the authorized administration:

1.      An original document of the Red Cross attesting to his arrest, and an updated document must be brought every three months for a prisoner who is still in detention.”

Clause 5 – Power of Attorney:

“(3) The authorization of a representative is executed through a power of attorney issued by the Red Cross signed by the prisoner, or through a personal power of attorney signed by him and certified by a lawyer of the Ministry and by the General Administration for Legal Matters of the Ministry.”

Because the PA’s payment of salaries to terrorists constitutes a terror reward — and violates Israeli law — Israel is legally prohibited from allowing Red Cross visits. Doing so would mean knowingly enabling and facilitating these illegal terror payments.

The author is the Founder and Director of Palestinian Media Watch, where a version of this article first appeared.