Israeli far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir entered Ofer prison, west of Ramallah in the occupied West Bank, in a visit accompanied by threats and abuse of Palestinian prisoners, Anadolu reports.

Ben-Gvir entered the prison accompanied by senior police officials, including Police Commissioner Yaakov Shabtai, days before the start of the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, reported Israel’s Channel 7 added that sound bombs were thrown near the cells of Palestinian prisoners during the visit.

Ben-Gvir, known for releasing inflammatory videos targeting Palestinian prisoners and making repeated threats against them, has openly boasted of tightening prison conditions for Palestinians since taking office in late 2022.

During during his visit, he said the changes imposed on prisons “are not enough” and vowed to advance legislation that would allow the execution of Palestinian prisoners.

“This is not a luxury hotel. It is a real prison,” Ben-Gvir said, expressing satisfaction at what he described as a “fundamental change” in detention conditions.

Conditions for Palestinian prisoners have deteriorated significantly during Ben-Gvir’s tenure, amid severe restrictions, widespread abuse and apparent weight loss among prisoners.

Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations say former prisoners released in recent months have reported systematic torture, sexual violence, starvation and medical neglect, while some of them show severe psychological trauma.

In November 2025, the Israeli parliament advanced the reading of signs saw a bill introduced by Ben-Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudi party that would allow the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis. The proposal still requires second and third readings to become law, and no vote date has been set.

More than 9,300 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including about 350 children, according to data as of early February.

Human rights organizations have repeatedly warned that abuse of Palestinian prisoners has intensified since October 2023, in parallel with Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza.

We use cookies to improve the experience and display ads (Google AdSense).
By clicking “Accept”, you agree to the use of cookies according to
Privacy Policy
and
Cookies Policy.
You can reject non-necessary cookies by clicking “Reject”.

Source: prizrenpost