Israeli minister proposes execution of Palestinian prisoners as a solution to prison overcrowding

Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's controversial Minister of National Security and known for his extremist positions, has launched a proposal that has further inflamed the tense political and social landscape: the execution of Palestinian prisoners to alleviate overcrowding in Israeli prisons. This statement comes in a context of international criticism of detention conditions and the violation of human rights in Israeli prison facilities.

Space in Israeli prisons, a chronic and escalating problem

Ben Gvir, seizing on the Israeli military's recent decision to build 936 new spaces for "security prisoners," suggested that the death penalty for "terrorists" would be a "partial solution" until prison expansion was completed. This comment has not only exacerbated tensions with the Palestinian community but has also caused alarm among global human rights organizations.

Palestinian Prisoners' Day, commemorated on Wednesday, has seen more than 5,000 Palestinians detained since the start of the current war in Gaza on October 7. Reports from Israel's Public Defender's Office, updated in February, describe an "emergency" situation due to severe overcrowding. Prisons face precarious living conditions: spaces reduced to less than three square meters per person, insufficient ventilation, and critical sanitary deficiencies that increase stress and anxiety among inmates.

The conditions of Palestinian prisoners: an endless nightmare

Organizations such as Addameer have reported that Israel is holding approximately 9,500 Palestinian political prisoners, not including the new detainees from Gaza. These prisoners, according to reports, suffer the "worst forms of torture." The reality for these detainees has changed dramatically since October 7, reflecting a radical transformation in policies and practices within Israeli prisons, amid what Addameer describes as an "ongoing genocide" against Palestinians in Gaza.

A proposal that has resonated negatively in the international community

Ben Gvir's statements have not only been seen as a setback in human rights by Israel, but also as a provocative act that could further deteriorate relations with the Palestinians and increase violence in an already troubled region. marked by constant conflict.

The international community, including several UN agencies and the International Criminal Court, has been urged to intervene and pressure Israel to improve detention conditions and reconsider its punitive approach, which now includes such extreme proposals as the execution of prisoners. Meanwhile, Palestinian families and activists continue to demand the release of their loved ones, marking Palestinian Prisoners' Day with protests and calls for justice.

The situation of the Palestinian prisoners and the Ben Gvir proposal raise serious questions about the direction of Israeli policies regarding human rights and the treatment of detainees. The international community watches with concern, hoping for responses and reforms that can alleviate the humanitarian crisis in Israel's prisons and, more broadly, in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.