Rizky Amelia
Palestinian authorities have issued sharp condemnations of Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir following his release of social media footage in which he is seen threatening a jailed Hamas figure inside his prison cell. The video, posted on Sunday, shows the far-right minister confronting Hassan Salama, who has spent three decades behind Israeli bars, and telling him directly that he wishes to see him dead.
The Palestinian Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs described the footage as evidence that the treatment of Palestinian prisoners has sunk to unprecedented depths. Raed Abu al-Hummus, who heads the Palestinian Authority-affiliated body, said in a statement on Monday that the clip demonstrated how far degradation and moral decay had progressed within Israel's prison system. He characterized the conditions under which Palestinian detainees are held as a form of "organised terrorism," language that reflects the deep hostility between Palestinian officials and Israel's current far-right leadership.
The video appeared in a lengthy post on X, in which Ben-Gvir is surrounded by Israeli security personnel while standing inside Salama's cell. According to the minister, the recording was made roughly two weeks before he made it public. In the footage, Ben-Gvir can be heard declaring that he wants Salama killed and executed. Salama is serving multiple life sentences for his involvement in a series of Hamas-orchestrated attacks in 1996, including bus bombings that killed numerous civilians during a particularly bloody period of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
The Palestinian Prisoners Media Office dismissed Ben-Gvir's actions as a cynical manoeuvre designed to win votes ahead of Israel's parliamentary elections scheduled for October 27. The group described the video as a cowardly act of intimidation targeting a defenceless and shackled prisoner. It also emphasized that Israeli authorities bear full legal and moral responsibility for Salama's safety, warning that any harm to him would be treated as a grave violation.
Hamas, for its part, said the threat against Salama's life represents a harbinger of new abuses against Palestinian detainees. The movement pledged to intensify its efforts to secure the release of Palestinian prisoners, framing the issue as a central plank of its political and armed struggle. The response underscores how prisoner releases remain one of the most emotionally charged and politically sensitive issues in the broader Palestinian-Israeli conflict.
This is not the first time Ben-Gvir has drawn outrage for his conduct toward Palestinian prisoners. In August, he posted footage of himself entering the cells of Palestinian women and boasting about the poor conditions in which they were held. Last year, he was seen taunting Marwan Barghouti, the long-imprisoned Fatah leader widely viewed as a potential future Palestinian president, inside his cell. These incidents form part of a pattern that critics say is designed to humiliate detainees and inflame tensions for political gain.
The video also comes against the backdrop of contentious legislation passed by Israel's Knesset in March, which permits the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners in certain cases. The law, strongly promoted by Ben-Gvir and his Jewish Power party, does not apply the death penalty to Jewish Israelis, a disparity that has drawn widespread criticism from countries across the region and from international human rights organizations. The measure has significant implications for the thousands of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, many of whom are serving lengthy or indefinite sentences.
On the same day the video was released, Ben-Gvir renewed his call for the "emigration" of Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank. In July, he unveiled a seven-year plan he called "Disengagement 710," which aims to remove Gaza's roughly two million residents through what he describes as voluntary emigration. He has also said that if re-elected, he would establish a dedicated migration ministry to facilitate the expulsion of Palestinians — a proposal that critics describe as a euphemism for ethnic cleansing.
Ben-Gvir's rhetoric and policy proposals extend beyond migration. In July, he joined other Israeli cabinet members and parliamentarians in a march toward Gaza advocating for the rebuilding of Jewish settlements in the besieged territory. He has also pushed plans to annex much of the occupied Palestinian territory, despite condemnation from European and Arab leaders. This year alone, he approved the issuance of gun licences to Israelis living in 18 additional settlements in occupied Palestinian territory, settlements considered illegal under international law.
The prisoner issue sits at the heart of Palestinian public life. Nearly every Palestinian family has some connection to detention, whether through a relative currently in prison, a former detainee, or someone who has been held administratively without charge. The treatment of prisoners is therefore not an abstract political matter but a deeply personal and communal concern. When a senior Israeli minister publicly threatens to kill a handcuffed prisoner, the impact reverberates far beyond the prison walls.
Analysts note that Ben-Gvir's conduct during an election campaign is unlikely to be coincidental. His base within the Israeli far-right responds to displays of force and contempt toward Palestinians, and such gestures can translate into electoral support. However, the same actions inflame Palestinian anger, complicate any future negotiations, and deepen international criticism of Israel's treatment of detainees. The political calculation may also carry a personal dimension, as Ben-Gvir has previously indicated that his party would demand the defence and justice portfolios as a condition for joining any future governing coalition.
The broader system of Israeli detention has come under repeated scrutiny from human rights groups, which document allegations of abuse, medical neglect, and the use of administrative detention without trial. Palestinian officials argue that these practices amount to collective punishment and are a primary driver of resentment and radicalization. The latest video is likely to become another exhibit in that ongoing debate, particularly as it was deliberately filmed and circulated by the minister himself.
For now, the immediate concern among Palestinian officials is Salama's personal safety. His decades-long imprisonment has made him a symbol for many Palestinians, and any harm befalling him would likely trigger a strong reaction across Palestinian society. The Palestinian Prisoners Media Office has placed responsibility squarely on Israeli authorities, while Hamas has vowed to continue its campaign to free detainees. What began as a social media post has thus become another flashpoint in a conflict where symbolic acts and personal stories carry enormous weight.
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