Key facts
- Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir made remarks calling for the killing of Palestinians.
- Ben Gvir also boasted about the construction of a facility intended for the execution of Palestinian prisoners.
- The British government condemned these remarks as 'abhorrent' and 'dehumanising'.
- France has previously sanctioned Ben Gvir over settler violence in the West Bank.
The British government has condemned recent remarks made by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir calling for the killing of "30 to 40" Palestinians in Gaza every night as "abhorrent" and "dehumanising." Ben Gvir also reportedly boasted about the construction of a facility intended for the execution of Palestinian prisoners. A Foreign Office spokesperson stated that "dehumanising language and calls for violence from an Israeli government minister are unacceptable and serve only to further inflame an already catastrophic situation." The spokesperson added that the UK "continue[s] to call on the Israeli government to take action against those whose rhetoric fuels violence and to clamp down on settler violence." Ben Gvir is already the subject of British sanctions for inciting violence against Palestinians, along with another Israeli minister, Bezalel Smotrich. France has also sanctioned Ben Gvir, citing settler violence in the occupied West Bank and his "unacceptable and inhuman" comments. The UN Secretary General António Guterres previously described Ben Gvir's comments as 'appalling,' 'outrageous,' 'dehumanizing,' and 'dangerous.'