Far-Right “Israeli” Minister Threatens Marwan Barghouti: “We Will Obliterate” Palestinians

By Staff, Agencies

In a move widely condemned as provocative and dangerous, far-right “Israeli” security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir confronted Marwan Barghouti—one of the most prominent Palestinian political leaders—inside his solitary confinement cell at Ganot prison.

The incident, monitored by guards and surveillance cameras, left Barghouti visibly distressed.

Ben-Gvir told Barghouti, “Whoever messes with the people of ‘Israel,’ whoever murders our children, whoever murders our women, we will obliterate them. You will not defeat us.” Palestinian rights advocates have denounced the statement as a direct threat to Barghouti’s life.

Raed Abu al-Hummus, head of the Palestinian Prisoners’ and Ex-Prisoners’ Affairs Commission, called the minister’s actions a dangerous escalation, noting Ben-Gvir’s long history of inciting violence against Palestinians and mistreating detainees. He urged both Palestinian leaders and the international community to act quickly to protect Barghouti.

Barghouti—serving five life sentences for his role in Palestinian resistance—remains a unifying figure among Palestinians despite his two-decade imprisonment.

Seen by many as a potential leader capable of bridging political divides, his possible release has been a consistent demand of resistance groups, though some senior Palestinian Authority [PA] officials have opposed it.

Following the threat, Barghouti’s family voiced deep fears for his safety, warning that he could be killed in prison. They also noted visible changes in his appearance, describing signs of exhaustion, hunger, and declining health.

His wife, lawyer and activist Fadwa Barghouti, expressed both grief and defiance in a public statement: “It’s true — I didn’t recognize you… Maybe part of me doesn’t want to acknowledge everything your face and body express, and what you and the other prisoners have endured. You are of the people; wherever you are, you are among them… Your fate is bound to theirs.”

The confrontation comes amid heightened tensions in the region and intensifying scrutiny of “Israel’s” treatment of Palestinian prisoners.