Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has posted footage from a detention facility holding Palestinian women, publicly taking responsibility for the restrictive conditions enforced inside the institution, Al Jazeera and Anadolu Agency reported on Sunday. The video, shared across the minister`s social media platforms, showed him entering a female ward and dismissing grievances raised by detainees regarding hygiene access, medical treatment, and daily living standards. Palestinian rights organizations issued statements condemning the release of the footage as intimidation and a breach of detainees` dignity.
In the recorded exchange, detainees noted lack of regular hygiene facilities, unwashed clothing, and absence of necessary medical care. Ben-Gvir stated in response that previous living conditions in the prison system were permanently ended, asserting that he remains directly responsible for current administrative policies and intends to maintain a strict minimum standard of basic provisions. The Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs stated that the visit represented a public incitement against incarcerated women rather than an official regulatory inspection.
The Palestinian Prisoner’s Society emphasized that recording and publishing imagery of detainees constitutes a direct violation of their fundamental human protections under international conventions.
Rights organizations documented that since late 2022, administrative authorities have instituted widespread restrictions across detention centers, including reductions in water allocations, food portions, scheduled showers, and family visitation rights. Ben-Gvir has maintained opposition to domestic legal challenges regarding the restoration of standard nutritional rations inside custodial facilities.
Official estimates from Palestinian prisoner support groups indicate that approximately 9,400 Palestinians remain in Israeli detention centers, including 88 women and more than 350 minors.
