Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir announced on Tuesday the start of construction of what he called a "hanging facility" for Palestinians sentenced to death, according to a video posted on his Telegram channel. The announcement comes after the Israeli Parliament approved a law at the end of March establishing capital punishment as the default sentence for West Bank Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks that military courts consider acts of terrorism.
In the video, Ben Gvir said he was fulfilling previous promises to toughen prison conditions for Palestinians and apply capital punishment. The minister explained that the facility will include "observation cabins" for relatives of those condemned to witness executions, citing the United States as an example of similar practice. He also noted that "visitor permits" would be offered at the unit.
According to the law approved in March, executions will be carried out within 90 days of sentencing. The law does not apply to Israeli citizens, including settlers, who are subject to civil legislation and tried in civil courts rather than military courts.
Ben Gvir, who is a settler and former convict for terrorism crimes, stated in the video that Palestinians "only deserve one thing: death by hanging". The minister has repeatedly posted on social media about what he describes as poor conditions in prisons for Palestinians. According to data from the NGO Physicians for Human Rights Israel, at least 104 Palestinian detainees have died in custody since 7 October 2023, many apparently as a direct result of torture, medical neglect and deprivation of food.
Since Ben Gvir joined the Government in 2022 as National Security Minister, the number of gun licences for Israelis increased 126 per cent, according to reports. His ministry controls the distribution of these licences, many of which have reached the hands of settlers in occupied West Bank.
