In a provocative visit to Damon Prison in northern occupied Palestine, Israeli Public Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has renewed his calls for intensified measures against Palestinian prisoners including the controversial death penalty while openly mocking the detention conditions of female inmates.
During a tour of the women’s sections, Ben-Gvir responded with apparent indifference when a Palestinian prisoner directly complained about what she described as “extremely difficult” living conditions. According to Israel’s Channel 14, the minister dismissed her concerns, stating the conditions were “normal” and asserting that those he labeled “terrorists” should endure hardship rather than comfort.
Ben-Gvir later expressed satisfaction with the official reports he received regarding prison conditions, signaling a continued commitment to what human rights groups have long condemned as a pattern of systematic mistreatment toward Palestinian detainees.
The visit also reignited debate over Israel’s death penalty legislation, which the Knesset passed in March amid widespread domestic and international criticism. While Ben-Gvir confirmed the law had been enacted, he noted that no cases had yet met his threshold for justification a remark that has alarmed Palestinian advocates who warn the law could be weaponized against political prisoners.
Damon Prison, situated near Haifa, currently houses a number of Palestinian women detainees and has become a flashpoint for ongoing allegations of human rights violations. Rights organizations have repeatedly documented overcrowding, inadequate medical care, and psychological abuse within Israeli detention facilities, charges Israeli authorities have consistently denied.
Ben-Gvir’s latest statements are expected to further strain already tense relations and draw renewed scrutiny from international human rights bodies monitoring conditions in Israeli prisons.
Source: Israei media (edited by Al-Manar)