Israeli minister stands over tied Palestinian hostages, calls for death penalty

Israel’s far-right minister Itamar Ben Gvir sparked outrage on Friday after sharing a video showing him standing over Palestinian hostages lying on the ground with their hands tied.

In the clip, posted to his personal Telegram channel, Ben Gvir is seen addressing the camera while pointing at several men lying face down in front of an Israeli flag. He is heard branding them as "Nukhba fighters who came to kill children, women, our babies".

Ben Gvir adds, “But there’s still something that must be done: death penalty for the terrorists.”

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is seen abusing Palestinian prisoners in one of the occupation’s prisons.

Let’s remember — one of the reasons behind October 7 was Israel’s relentless abuse of thousands of Palestinian detainees in its prisons. pic.twitter.com/8dGQgQrdBR

— Ramy Abdu| رامي عبده (@RamAbdu) October 31, 2025

The national security minister has long advocated for capital punishment and recently warned that he would withdraw support from Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition if his proposal to introduce the death penalty for convicted terrorists is not brought to a parliamentary vote by November 9.

In a caption accompanying the video, Ben Gvir said, “I am proud of the revolution in the prisons — unlike anything since the establishment of the state.” “Today, instead of a summer camp, there is deterrence. There are no more smiles; we erase them.”

He further claimed that prisoners now “tremble” at the thought of returning to Israeli jails, saying the stricter measures have led to a sharp decline in attacks.