Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has been accused of threatening to kill and execute Palestinian prisoner Hassan Salameh during a visit to his prison cell.
Ben-Gvir reportedly filmed the encounter and later published the footage. In the video, Salameh is seen handcuffed while Ben-Gvir, accompanied by armed and masked guards, tells him: “I want to kill you. I want to execute you.”
Ben-Gvir also said the harsh prison conditions imposed on Salameh were connected to his past activities, referring to attacks in Jerusalem in 1996.
The Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs condemned the footage, while the Palestinian Prisoners’ Media Office described the incident as a political and electoral stunt and an act of bullying against a defenceless prisoner.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society said the threats represented a dangerous escalation in the treatment of Palestinian detainees and called for international accountability.
Salameh, a senior figure in Hamas’ al-Qassam Brigades, has been imprisoned by Israel since 1996. He was convicted in 1997 over his involvement in attacks in Israel and received a sentence of 48 life terms.
According to Palestinian prisoner advocacy groups cited by the report, Salameh has spent about 13 years in solitary confinement, including the past three years, while his family has reportedly been allowed to visit him only twice during his 30 years in detention.
The incident comes after Israel’s parliament passed legislation making death by hanging the default punishment for Palestinians convicted in military courts of lethal attacks against Israelis. The law came into effect in May 2026.
Palestinian organisations have called for guarantees of Salameh’s safety and an investigation into the threats.
The report also states that, as of September 2026, around 9,350 Palestinians were being held in Israeli detention, including more than 3,100 under administrative detention, nearly 1,400 Palestinians from Gaza detained under the Unlawful Combatants Law, more than 350 children, and nearly 90 women.
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