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Execution Wing Announced
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir announced that a dedicated prison wing for Palestinians sentenced to death is being built, with a designated area for executions by hanging, after the Knesset approved a death-penalty law in March.
“would include a designated area for carrying out executions by hanging”
In a video clip from the construction site, Ben-Gvir said, "We promised and we fulfilled; we promised to enact the death penalty law for terrorists, and we did... and now the wing for the condemned and the execution facility is taking shape."
The Al-Jazeera Net account says the Palestinian Prisoners Club appealed for urgent international action after Israel allocated a wing for Palestinian prisoners that includes a room for carrying out executions.
The Palestinian Prisoners Club president, Abdulrahman Al-Zaghari, framed the move as part of turning incitement and legislation into executive measures to execute Palestinian prisoners, pointing to Knesset approval in March of a law that permits the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners.
Quotes, Condemnation, and Oversight
Ben-Gvir’s office described the construction as the next stage of the policy, and the Jerusalem Post reported that his office said an execution facility for hanging is being built within the already-constructed death row prisoner wing in central Israel.
The Jerusalem Post quoted Ben-Gvir saying, "I promised to worsen the conditions of terrorists in prisons - we kept it," and added that he said, "I promised to pass the Death Penalty for Terrorists Law - we did."
The Guardian reported that Ben-Gvir posted a gloating video of the gallows complex and quoted him saying, "I promised to worsen the conditions of terrorists in prisons – we kept it," while also saying, "I promised to pass the Death Penalty for Terrorists law – we did."
The Guardian also cited Amnesty International’s Erika Guevara-Rosas saying the law "dismantles fundamental safeguards to prevent the arbitrary deprivation of life and protect the right to a fair trial" and further empowers Israel’s system of apartheid.
Legal Framework and Human Impact
The Al-Jazirah Net account says the Palestinian Prisoners Club described Israel’s prison system as involving killings and mistreatment, and it stated that more than 9,400 prisoners, including 92 women, and more than 370 children, are held in Israeli prisons.
“more than 9,400 prisoners, including 92 women, and more than 370 children”
It also said Al-Zaghari accused Ben-Gvir of seeking revenge against Palestinian prisoners and pointed to repeated raids on prisoners’ rooms and cells.
In parallel, the Al-Jazirah Net account said the club warned that more than 100 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons as a result of torture, assaults, sexual violence, malnutrition, and the spread of diseases.
The Guardian reported that the death penalty law passed the Knesset by 62 votes to 48 over allegations that it is fundamentally discriminatory, and it quoted Amnesty’s Erika Guevara-Rosas linking the law to dismantling safeguards and empowering apartheid.
