Negev, MINA – Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir sparked outrage on Thursday after visiting Ketziot Prison in the Negev, where he was filmed boasting about stripping Palestinian prisoners of their basic rights and threatening to execute them.
In a video circulating on social media, Ben Gvir is seen standing at a prison cell door, opening a small window to reveal three detainees sitting on the floor. “All the elite members on the ground, as they should be,” he says, before adding, “They get the bare minimum — no jam, no chocolate, no television, no radio. We’ve taken everything away from here.”
He then declares, “But there’s still one thing left, capital punishment.”
Earlier this week, Ben Gvir renewed calls to pass a bill permitting the execution of Palestinian prisoners accused by Israel of carrying out attacks. The proposal passed its first reading in the Knesset last September and requires three readings to become law.
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The Palestinian Prisoners Society (PPS) condemned Ben Gvir’s statements, warning that his remarks reflect an ongoing policy of systematic extermination and incitement to violence against Palestinian detainees. The PPS said such statements coincide with legislative efforts in the Knesset to legalize executions and establish special courts devoid of fair trial guarantees for detainees from Gaza.
“These legal maneuvers represent a dangerous shift toward legitimizing crimes against prisoners and turning killing into a legally sanctioned act,” the PPS stated.
The organization also cited testimonies from recently released prisoners describing severe abuse, torture, starvation, and medical neglect inside Israeli prisons. It called for an independent international investigation into these violations, emphasizing that such brutality is part of a broader campaign of genocide.
According to the PPS, over 9,100 Palestinians remain imprisoned in Israel, with hundreds more held in military detention camps.
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The Hamas Movement condemned Ben Gvir’s actions and statements, describing them as evidence of “sadistic and fascist behavior” by the Israeli occupation regime.
In a statement, Hamas said, “The world has witnessed the scale of systematic criminality practiced by these murderous leaders against Palestinian prisoners. The mutilated bodies of martyrs returned to Gaza reveal the horrific violations committed against them.”
Hamas urged the international community, including the United Nations and human rights organizations, to intervene immediately, ensure the protection of prisoners, and hold Israeli leaders accountable before international courts for crimes against humanity.[]
Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)
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