Archive · 30 Aug 2026
Ben Gvir Boasts of Worsening Conditions for Palestinian Prisoners
Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir shared a video about Palestinian women held in prison.
One woman said the prisoners had very poor hygiene and had not changed their underwear for three days.
She said this could lead to disease.
Ben-Gvir said he was proud that prison conditions had become very strict.
He compared the prisoners’ treatment with the way Israeli hostages were treated in Gaza.
Palestinian officials strongly criticized his comments.
The minister has previously faced international criticism for other statements and actions.
His video appeared before an important Israeli election.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition is having trouble in some polls.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said he was proud of reducing Palestinian prisoners’ conditions to the bare minimum.
A veiled female prisoner said inmates had not bathed or changed underwear for three days and warned of disease risks.
Ben-Gvir compared the prisoners’ treatment with conditions faced by hostages held by Hamas and other militants in Gaza.
The Palestinian Authority’s Commission on Detainees Affairs and Gaza’s prisoners ministry condemned the video as racist and brutal.
The video comes two months before Israel’s October 27 elections, as Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition faces polling difficulties.
- Who
- Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, Palestinian prisoners, the Palestinian Authority’s Commission on Detainees Affairs, and Gaza’s prisoners ministry under Hamas.
- What
- Ben-Gvir posted a video boasting that conditions for Palestinian prisoners had been reduced to the bare minimum, while a female prisoner described severe hygiene problems.
- When
- The incident was reported on Sunday, two months before Israel’s October 27 elections.
- Where
- In Israel, during Ben-Gvir’s visit to female Palestinian prisoners; the prisoner identified in the report was re-arrested near Jenin.
- Why
- Ben-Gvir said the harsher conditions were justified by comparisons with Israeli hostages held in Gaza and reflected his policy of ending what he called prison “summer camps.”
Palestinian officials and detainee accounts
Ben-Gvir’s stated position
Prison conditions
Palestinian officials and detainee accounts
A female prisoner said inmates faced extremely bad conditions, lacked rights, had particular needs as women, and had gone three days without bathing or changing underwear.
Ben-Gvir’s stated position
Ben-Gvir said he was proud of reducing the conditions of what he called terrorists in prison to the bare minimum and ending the prisons’ “summer camps.”
Comparison with Gaza hostages
Palestinian officials and detainee accounts
Palestinian officials condemned the video, with the Commission on Detainees Affairs calling Ben-Gvir’s conduct brutal, hateful, and racist.
Ben-Gvir’s stated position
Ben-Gvir justified the treatment by saying Israeli hostages held by Hamas and other militants in Gaza had lacked shampoo and faced worse conditions.
- Israeli minister
- Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister.
- Reported conditions
- A female prisoner said inmates had not bathed or changed underwear for three days.
- Ben-Gvir’s statement
- He said he was proud of reducing prisoners’ conditions to the bare minimum.
- Prisoner identification
- The woman was identified by her husband as Yasmine Shaaban, who was re-arrested in May 2025 near Jenin.
- Election timing
- The video was posted two months before Israel’s October 27 elections.
- Palestinian response
- The Palestinian Authority’s Commission on Detainees Affairs accused Ben-Gvir of brutality, hatred, and racism.
- Political context
- Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition was struggling in some polls, while Ben-Gvir rejected calls to run jointly with another ultranationalist.