Ben Gvir Calls for Death Penalty Amid Bound Palestinian Detainees

By Staff, Agencies

"Israeli" so-called Minister Itamar Ben Gvir was filmed at an "Israeli" prison where he called for the execution of Palestinian detainees.

In a viral clip, the far-right so-called national security minister was seen standing in front of a cell, declaring that Palestinian detainees "deserve a death penalty law."

The video then pans to several Palestinians inside the cell, shackled and kneeling in a stress position with their backs to the camera.

His remarks come as parliament prepares to debate a series of controversial bills, including one that would impose the death penalty on the detainees.

Ben Gvir, who oversees prison affairs, has long called for the death penalty for Palestinians and harsher prison conditions.

Under his supervision, Palestinian detainees have faced increasingly severe treatment, including torture, starvation, and sexual assault, which have escalated since "Israel’s" war on Gaza began.

Fresh accounts of abuse and deaths in custody continue to emerge, with the bodies of 80 Palestinians who have lost their lives in "Israeli" detention since October 2023 now identified.

Ben Gvir’s death penalty bill, which passed preliminary approval last month despite Netanyahu’s opposition, was reiterated by the far-right minister on Saturday, calling for its immediate enactment. the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs and the Palestinian Prisoners’ Club condemned the bill as an “unprecedented act of savagery.”

In late September, Palestinian detainee rights groups condemned the bill, stating it aims to legalize the ongoing claiming of detainees. They said, “The occupation has not been content with killing dozens of prisoners… today, it seeks to entrench the crime of execution by enacting a specific law for it.”

" It is another step to entrench the crime and attempt to legitimize it."

Multiple international rights groups have warned that "Israel’s" use of such laws is often based on "extremely vague or unsubstantiated reasons."

In October 2021, former UN High Commissioner Michelle Bachelet argued that "Israel’s" security laws shouldn't apply to legitimate human rights work, stating, “Claiming rights before a UN or advocating for women’s rights in Palestine" is not a crime, nor is providing legal aid to detained Palestinians.”