Israel’s Ben-Gvir boasts about starving Palestinian prisoners

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JERUSALEM, Palestine / ISTANBUL (AA) – Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Thursday openly boasted about starving Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails.

Ben-Gvir made the remarks while attending a Supreme Court hearing on a petition filed by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) demanding an end to the systematic reduction of food provided to Palestinian detainees.

“I came to the Supreme Court for a hearing on the ACRI’s petition regarding the living and detention conditions of Palestinian prisoners,” Ben-Gvir wrote on X.

“Instead of discussing how to strengthen deterrence, they are debating whether the menu is balanced, healthy, and rich in vitamins,” he mocked, calling the case “madness and delusion.”

“While Israel is at war and our soldiers are sacrificing their lives, the court is holding hearings on behalf of a bunch of hypocrites,” he added.

Vowing to continue the policy, Ben-Gvir said: “I am here to ensure that the ‘terrorists’ receive the minimum of the minimum (in food).”

The court session followed growing criticism from rights groups over deteriorating prison conditions for Palestinian detainees, many of whom have reportedly lost significant weight since Ben-Gvir took office in late 2022.

In a Facebook post, ACRI said: “Soon, Ben-Gvir will appear before the court as a defendant.”

The group accused him of attending the session “to make a scene, perhaps to disrupt the hearing or intimidate the judges, to pose for photos with police officers, and to deliver populist statements.”

It added that the petition was based on “countless testimonies describing a systematic policy of reducing food to the point of starvation,” with no decision yet issued by the court.

According to the Israel Prison Service, there are currently 10,762 Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails, with human rights groups repeatedly documenting cases of torture, severe medical neglect, and harsh detention conditions.