We at the Palestinian Center for Prisoners Advocacy strongly condemn the racist statements made by Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, in which he openly declared the adoption of a systematic policy to deprive and starve Palestinian prisoners in Israeli prisons—an explicit admission of a starvation policy that constitutes a war crime and demands urgent accountability by the international justice system.
These racist remarks come amid the worst conditions Palestinian prisoners have faced in decades and signal a growing deterioration, especially as individuals like Ben-Gvir gain power over the lives of thousands of prisoners.
The time has come for a serious Palestinian and Arab media campaign to expose the ongoing crimes suffered by prisoners behind bars. Allowing such crimes to be committed—and publicly boasted about on television—without exposure or scrutiny will only embolden further brutality and crimes against prisoners in Israeli detention.
As an occupying power, Israel is obligated under international treaties, conventions, and international humanitarian law to ensure the basic needs of prisoners, including adequate food, water, and humane living conditions. What is happening inside Israeli prisons is the complete opposite of these obligations.
