Human rights organizations have petitioned Israel's High Court of Justice, warning that emergency detention measures enacted after the October 7 war risk becoming a permanent part of Israeli law. These groups argue that the continued extension of temporary rules—allowing prolonged detention without judicial review, delayed access to legal counsel, and the use of virtual court hearings—are no longer justified given the sharp decline in new arrests and the end of active hostilities.

The petitioners challenge the state's claim that ongoing military activity and a high number of detainees warrant the emergency framework, citing official data showing a significant drop in both the number of detainees and new arrests. They emphasize that the emergency measures now disproportionately affect new detainees, creating a regime that deviates sharply from standard legal protections.

Despite minor reductions in detention timeframes, the rights groups contend that the gap between emergency and regular law remains wide and unjustified. They also criticize the continued use of virtual hearings exclusively for detainees from Gaza, calling it discriminatory and harmful to fair trial rights. The petitioners warn that repeated extensions of these powers suggest an attempt to make them permanent, and have asked the court to require the state to justify their ongoing use.