Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir visited a prison holding Palestinian female security prisoners on Sunday, confronting inmates over complaints about their treatment and declaring that he is personally responsible for maintaining stringent conditions behind bars.

Footage of the encounter, which Ben-Gvir posted on his X account, shows the national security minister entering the women’s section of the prison and speaking directly with inmates who complained about the conditions under which they are being held.

During the exchange, one female prisoner complained that the inmates had been unable to shower for several days and were not receiving adequate care.

“This is our third day without showering. We are not receiving medical treatment, and our clothes are not clean.”

Ben-Gvir responded by making clear that the tougher conditions were deliberate and that he stood behind the policy.

“The good conditions in the prisons are over. This is the current situation, and I am directly responsible for everything. I am pleased with these conditions.”

In a social media post accompanying the footage, Ben-Gvir dismissed what he described as the “whining” of prisoners over their conditions, pointing to the treatment of Israeli hostages who had been held captive in Gaza.

“I’ll continue to lead a policy of the bare minimum of the minimum,” he said.

Palestinian organizations reacted angrily to the video. Gaza’s Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs condemned Ben-Gvir’s appearance inside the women’s section and accused him of using the encounter to intimidate and humiliate the prisoners.

The organization said the minister’s presence was “not an inspection visit,” but rather a “political spectacle and public incitement against the female prisoners” intended to frighten the inmates and break their resolve in front of the cameras.

The Palestinian agency further alleged that Ben-Gvir’s statements demonstrated that the conditions imposed on Palestinian prisoners were part of a broader retaliatory policy involving “humiliation, torture, starvation and deprivation.”

The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society also criticized the footage, telling Al Jazeera that recording the female inmates and subsequently publishing the video constituted “an assault on their human dignity.”

The organization claimed that hundreds of accounts provided by released Palestinian detainees and prisoners have documented serious mistreatment in Israeli prisons and detention centers.

Ben-Gvir has made tightening conditions for Palestinian security prisoners a central part of his policies since becoming national security minister in late 2022. Measures implemented or promoted during his tenure have included reducing food and water supplies, restricting family visits, limiting the amount of time prisoners may spend showering and eliminating privileges previously available inside prison wings.

{Matzav.com}