The Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs has strongly condemned Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir following the release of a social media video in which the minister threatened to kill a jailed Hamas commander. Raed Abu al-Hummus, the agency’s head, stated on Monday that the footage demonstrated degradation and depravity at their peak, describing prison conditions as a form of “organised terrorism.”
The video, uploaded by Ben-Gvir to the platform X on Sunday, depicts him inside the cell of Hassan Salama, a Hamas figure who has been incarcerated by Israel for three decades. Salama is serving multiple life sentences for his involvement in a series of Hamas-orchestrated attacks in 1996, including bus bombings. In the clip, Ben-Gvir tells Salama, “I want to kill you… I want you executed,” while surrounded by security forces. He claimed the recording was made two weeks prior.
The Palestinian Prisoners Media Office denounced the incident as a cowardly act of bullying against a handcuffed and defenseless prisoner, characterizing it as a cheap political maneuver ahead of Israel’s general elections on October 27. They asserted that Israeli authorities bear full responsibility for Salama’s safety.
Hamas responded by labeling the threat as evidence of new crimes against Palestinian detainees, while reaffirming its commitment to securing the release of prisoners. Critics note that this incident aligns with Ben-Gvir’s history of inflammatory rhetoric; in August, he posted a video boasting about inadequate conditions for imprisoned Palestinian women, and last year he was seen taunting long-held Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti.
These actions follow the Israeli Knesset’s approval in March of legislation allowing the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners in specific cases, a measure championed by Ben-Gvir and his Jewish Power party. The law explicitly excludes Jewish Israelis from its purview and has drawn widespread condemnation and protests from regional nations.
On the same day, Ben-Gvir reiterated calls for the “emigration” of Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank. This follows a July announcement of a seven-year plan dubbed “Disengagement 710,” which aims to remove Gaza’s approximately two million residents through what he termed “voluntary emigration.” Ben-Gvir has also stated that establishing a migration ministry to expel Palestinians would be a priority if he is re-elected.
Ben-Gvir’s hardline stance includes support for rebuilding Jewish settlements in Gaza, annexation plans for parts of the occupied territories, and the approval of gun licenses for settlers in 18 additional areas in the West Bank, measures that have been criticized by European and Arab leaders and are considered illegal under international law. He has previously indicated that Jewish Power would demand the defense and justice ministries as a condition for joining any future government coalition.
The timing is suspicious given the upcoming October elections. These aren’t policy statements, they’re cruel political stunts.
This feels like blatant electioneering rather than genuine governance. Threatening defenseless prisoners crosses every line.