Ben-Gvir threatens Palestinian prisoner Hassan Salameh with execution during prison visit

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has drawn condemnation after publishing footage of a confrontation with Palestinian prisoner Hassan Salameh, who has been detained in Israel for nearly 30 years.

The video, released on Sunday, shows Salameh inside his prison cell with his hands restrained and several security personnel around him. Ben-Gvir is heard telling the prisoner that he wants him killed and executed.

The minister said the encounter had taken place about two weeks before the video was made public. He linked his threat to Salameh’s conviction over a series of attacks in Jerusalem in 1996, saying he had protested against the bombings as a teenager.

Ben-Gvir added that he would push for the execution of Palestinian prisoners if he were appointed defence minister in a future government. He also repeated his call for what he terms the “voluntary migration” of Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank.

Hamas denounced the video, describing the minister’s conduct and comments as a provocation and a breach of international law. The group said such threats would not weaken Salameh or other Palestinian detainees and pledged to continue efforts to secure their release.

The Palestinian Prisoners’ Society accused the Israeli authorities of pursuing a policy aimed at intimidating and targeting Palestinian prisoners.

Raed Abu al-Hummus, who heads the Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, also condemned the incident. He said the minister’s behaviour was evidence of the humiliating treatment allegedly faced by Palestinian detainees.

Salameh, who is identified as a Hamas member, was arrested in 1996. An Israeli court convicted him over his alleged role in several attacks, including bus bombings in Jerusalem, and sentenced him the following year to 48 life terms.

Palestinian prisoner organisations say he has spent long periods in solitary confinement during his incarceration. His release was discussed in previous negotiations, including the 2011 prisoner exchange that saw Israeli soldier Gilad Shalit freed in return for 1,027 Palestinian prisoners.

Ben-Gvir has repeatedly backed capital punishment for Palestinian prisoners. His latest remarks come as Israel continues to debate legislation that could facilitate the use of the death penalty.

(Inputs from IANS)