Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called for the execution of Palestinians to make room in Israel’s overcrowded prisons.
Ben Gvir, leader of the hardline Jewish Power party, said he was happy that the Israeli government approved a construction plan to expand prisons but said the best solution would be the death penalty.
“The additional construction will allow the prison service to take in more terrorists, and will bring a partial solution to the prison crisis that exists in the Shabak,” Ben Gvir wrote on X. “The death penalty for terrorists is the right solution to the incarceration problem, until then – glad that the government approved the proposal I brought.”
According to Middle East Eye, the Israeli Public Defender’s Office published a report that said some Israeli prisons have been declared in a state of emergency due to “intolerable overcrowding” and poor conditions. Thousands of Palestinians have been detained in Gaza since October 7, and many have reported severe abuse.
As Israel’s national security minister, Ben Gvir oversees the Israeli Prison Service. He has been pushing for a bill that would mandate the death penalty for Palestinians found guilty of terrorism in Israeli courts.
Ben Gvir is also in charge of Israeli police and border police. Back in February, he said Israeli forces should be able to shoot Palestinian women and children in Gaza who get too close to the border. “We cannot have women and children getting close to the border… anyone who gets near must get a bullet [in his head],” he said.