The Israeli parliament rejected a bill in its first reading that would ban Red Cross visits to Palestinian prisoners.
In the vote boycotted by ultra-Orthodox parties, 36 parliamentarians voted in favor and 41 against.
The rejection of the bill means it cannot be brought back to the agenda for at least six months. During this period, a new vote cannot be held before the general elections planned for October.
National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir blamed the leader of the Shas Party, Aryeh Deri, who decided to boycott the vote. In a post on his social media account, Ben-Gvir reacted with the words,
Thanks, Aryeh. Thanks to you, the Red Cross will visit the prison. How will you sleep at night?
The Shas Party responded to Ben-Gvir's outburst by saying, "Israelis want security on the streets, not tweets."