Ben-Gvir’s visit to Palestinian female prisoners’ cells draws criticism

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has drawn criticism after footage showed him visiting cells holding Palestinian female prisoners and highlighting the stringent conditions imposed on detainees in Israeli prisons.

The footage prompted criticism from Palestinian officials and commentators, who accused Ben-Gvir of seeking to publicly showcase the harsh conditions under which Palestinian prisoners are being held.

Khaled Mahajneh, a lawyer with the Palestinian Authority’s Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs, said the footage offered a rare public view of conditions faced by Palestinian women in Israeli detention.

“Perhaps the world will hear this time,” Mahajneh wrote on X, referring to female prisoners shown speaking from inside their cells about basic necessities they said they had been denied.

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Mahajneh argued that while Ben-Gvir intended the footage to demonstrate his policies toward Palestinian prisoners, it instead exposed what he described as their degrading treatment inside Israeli prisons.

Qatari journalist Jaber Al-Harmi also criticized the visit and Ben-Gvir’s remarks, accusing Israeli authorities of subjecting Palestinian female prisoners to abusive conditions. He also criticized Arab and Muslim governments for what he described as their failure to protect the detainees or alleviate their conditions.

Qatari historian Ahmed Al-Binali similarly condemned Ben-Gvir’s remarks during the visit, including his statement that “the days of summer camps in Israeli prisons are over. I am now in charge.”

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