Israel's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, posted a video boasting about the reduced conditions for Palestinian prisoners, including female inmates, stating he was "proud" to have lowered their treatment to the "bare minimum."
The minister's remarks and actions highlight the severe and deteriorating conditions faced by Palestinian prisoners, drawing condemnation from Palestinian authorities and raising concerns about human rights and potential escalations in the ongoing conflict.
Israel's far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben Gvir, has boasted about worsening conditions for Palestinian prisoners after visiting female inmates. In a video posted by Ben Gvir, a prisoner described extremely poor conditions, stating that inmates had not bathed for three days and had not changed their underwear, warning of the risk of disease.
Ben Gvir responded approvingly in the video, saying he was "proud" that prison conditions had been reduced to the "bare minimum" and declaring that "the summer camps in the prisons are over." He compared the treatment to that of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. The prisoner speaking in the video is identified by her husband as Yasmine Shaaban, who was re-arrested in May 2025.
Palestinian authorities have condemned the video. The Palestinian Authority’s Commission on Detainees Affairs accused the minister of "brutality, hatred and racism." The Gaza prisoners ministry under Hamas stated that Ben-Gvir's video "reflects the depths of depravity to which the occupation regime has sunk."
Ben-Gvir, who has a history of provocative statements and actions, has pursued policies aimed at worsening detention conditions for Palestinian prisoners since taking office in late 2022. These policies have included food deprivation, mistreatment, physical abuse, and restrictions contributing to the spread of disease. According to the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, approximately 9,400 Palestinian prisoners are currently held in Israeli prisons, including 88 women and over 350 children.