Arab Press

بالشعب و للشعب
Monday, Aug 11, 2025

Far-right security minister begins drive to introduce stronger punitive measures for Palestinian prisoners

Far-right security minister begins drive to introduce stronger punitive measures for Palestinian prisoners

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has initiated punitive measures against Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.
Ben-Gvir, who is also leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, announced in a tweet on Friday that he was proceeding with his plan to introduce the death penalty for prisoners found guilty of killing, or attempting to kill, Israelis.

The minister announced during his election campaign that he would push for the Knesset’s adoption of the death penalty, and on Jan. 1 he said that he would ensure that conditions for Palestinians in Israeli prisons became worse, adding that Israeli prisons were like “summer camps,” and that prisoners currently enjoy “comfortable and excellent conditions.”

The minister also said he had visited Nafha prison — where new cells were recently built — to ensure that those prosecuted for killing Israelis would be imprisoned in conditions worse than those offered by the older cells. Ben-Gvir was accompanied by the head of the Israel Prison Service, Katy Perry, and other senior command staff, on his visit.

Nafha desert is one of the most strongly fortified Israeli prisons and is regarded as one of the harshest.

According to the Palestinian Commission of Detainees’ Affairs, there were 4,700 Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails at the end of 2022, including 29 women, 150 children, around 850 administrative detainees, 15 journalists and five deputies from the Palestinian Legislative Council. There are 330 prisoners who have been in jail for more than 20 years, and 552 prisoners serving a life sentence.

Ben-Gvir caused widespread international criticism of Israel after he stormed Al-Aqsa Mosque on Tuesday. On Thursday, former prisoner Karim Younis said in a phone call with Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas that Palestinian prisoners were preparing to counter Israeli jailers’ restrictions in the near future.

Qadura Faris, head of the Palestinian Prisoners Club, told Arab News: “We are taking seriously all threats issued by Ben-Gvir (regarding the targeting of) Palestinian prisoners, because he is part of the Israeli government. He will face a difficult reality, as the matter does not depend on what he decides.

“Prisoners are not baggage to be moved from one place to another, and any harm to them will lead to a major crisis inside the prisons,” Faris continued.

Faris warned that such a crisis would likely escalate outside of prisons as Palestinians would not accept Ben-Gvir’s “racist, hateful policies.”

Senior Palestinian security sources told Arab News that the reason for the speed with which Israeli far-right ministers are implementing their crackdown against Palestinians is because they have realized that they may not have much time in power.

Meanwhile, the Israeli Cabinet discussed on Jan. 5 its response to the Palestinian appeal, via the United Nations, to the International Court of Justice in The Hague to give an opinion on the legal consequences of Israel’s occupation of Palestinian territories.

The head of Israel’s Coordination of Government Activities in the Territories unit, Ghassan Olyan, presented Cabinet ministers with a list of potential sanctions, including the withdrawal of VIP cards from senior officials in the Palestinian Authority, as well as wide-ranging economic sanctions. Sources in the Israeli security apparatus favor the former, saying that the measures should focus on Palestinian leaders rather than the civilian population.

Ibrahim Melhem, spokesperson for the Palestinian government, told Arab News that Israeli sanctions against the PA and its leaders have been introduced every time that the Palestinian leadership has attempted to refute “the Israeli narrative” on the international stage.

“Despite the threat of Israeli sanctions, the Palestinian leadership is determined to use international laws and diplomacy to protect its people, as what most frightens and terrifies Israel is holding it accountable in international organizations and courts,” Melhem told Arab News.
Newsletter

Related Articles

Arab Press
0:00
0:00
Close
Armenia and Azerbaijan to Sign US-Brokered Framework Agreement for Nakhchivan Corridor
British Labour Government Utilizes Counter-Terrorism Tools for Social Media Monitoring Against Legitimate Critics
WhatsApp Deletes 6.8 Million Scam Accounts Amid Rising Global Fraud
Texas Residents Face Water Restrictions While AI Data Centers Consume Millions of Gallons
India Rejects U.S. Tariff Threat, Defends Russian Oil Purchases
United States Establishes Strategic Bitcoin Reserve and Digital Asset Stockpile
Thousands of Private ChatGPT Conversations Accidentally Indexed by Google
China Tightens Mineral Controls, Curtailing Critical Inputs for Western Defence Contractors
JPMorgan and Coinbase Unveil Partnership to Let Chase Cardholders Buy Crypto Directly
British Tourist Dies Following Hair Transplant in Turkey, Police Investigate
WhatsApp Users Targeted in New Scam Involving Account Takeovers
Trump Deploys Nuclear Submarines After Threats from Former Russian President Medvedev
Germany’s Economic Breakdown and the Return of Militarization: From Industrial Collapse to a New Offensive Strategy
Germany Enters Fiscal Crisis as Cabinet Approves €174 Billion in New Debt
IMF Upgrades Global Growth Forecast as Weaker Dollar Supports Outlook
Politics is a good business: Barack Obama’s Reported Net Worth Growth, 1990–2025
UN's Top Court Declares Environmental Protection a Legal Obligation Under International Law
"Crazy Thing": OpenAI's Sam Altman Warns Of AI Voice Fraud Crisis In Banking
Japanese Prime Minister Vows to Stay After Coalition Loses Upper House Majority
President Trump Diagnosed with Chronic Venous Insufficiency After Leg Swelling
Man Dies After Being Pulled Into MRI Machine Due to Metal Chain in New York Clinic
FIFA Pressured to Rethink World Cup Calendar Due to Climate Change
Iranian President Reportedly Injured During Israeli Strike on Secret Facility
Kurdistan Workers Party Takes Symbolic Step Towards Peace in Northern Iraq
BRICS Expands Membership with Indonesia and Ten New Partner Countries
Elon Musk Founds a Party Following a Poll on X: "You Wanted It – You Got It!"
AI Raises Alarms Over Long-Term Job Security
Russia Formally Recognizes Taliban Government in Afghanistan
Saudi Arabia Maintains Ties with Iran Despite Israel Conflict
Mediators Edge Closer to Israel-Hamas Ceasefire Agreement
Germany Seeks Taliban Deal to Deport Afghan Migrants
Emirates Airline Expands Market Share with New $20 Million Campaign
Robots Compete in Football Tournament in China Amid Injuries
China Unveils Miniature Insect-Like Surveillance Drone
Marc Marquez Claims Victory at Dutch Grand Prix Amidst Family Misfortune
Iran Executes Alleged Israeli Spies and Arrests Hundreds Amid Post-War Crackdown
Trump Asserts Readiness for Further Strikes on Iran Amid Nuclear Tensions
Qatar Airways Clears Backlog of Passengers Following Missile Threats
Iran's Parliament Votes to Suspend Cooperation with Nuclear Watchdog
Trump Announces Upcoming US-Iran Meeting Amid Controversial Airstrikes
Trump Moves to Reshape Middle East Following Israel-Iran Conflict
NATO Leaders Endorse Plan for Increased Defence Spending
U.S. Crude Oil Prices Drop Below $65 Amid Market Volatility
“You Have 12 Hours to Flee”: Israeli Threat Campaign Targets Surviving Iranian Officials
Oman Set to Introduce Personal Income Tax, First in Gulf
Germany and Italy Under Pressure to Repatriate $245bn of Gold from US Vaults
Trump Praises Iran’s ‘Very Weak’ Response After U.S. Strikes and Presses Israel to Pursue Peace
WATCH: Israeli forces show the aftermath of a massive airstrike at Iran's Isfahan nuclear site
We have new information and breaking details to share about what is shaping up to be a historic air campaign tonight
Six Massive Bombs Dropped on Fordow; Trump: 'A Historic Moment for the U.S., Israel, and the World'
×