Israel’s
Ben-Gvir posts video of gallows site for hanging Palestinians
Far-right
minister says those convicted in military courts of terror offences will be
executed after passing of death penalty law that does not apply to Jewish
extremists
Peter
Beaumont Senior international correspondent
Thu 20
Aug 2026 13.34 BST
Israel’s
far-right national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has posted a gloating
video of the construction of a gallows complex where Palestinians convicted of
terror offences – but not Jewish extremists accused of similar crimes – will be
hanged.
Ben-Givr,
who has previously attracted international sanctions and condemnation for his
activities, said the new execution site would be equipped with viewing booths
for families of victims to watch the hangings.
He posted
the video on social media of a visit he had made to the unidentified location,
where he can be seen pointing at foundations being laid and boasting it was
where “terrorists will be executed”.
Photographs
in the Israeli media showed a bulldozer and heavy construction work in a
cordoned-off area, reportedly close to a prison.
“I
promised to worsen the conditions of terrorists in prisons – we kept it,” said
Ben-Gvir in the video. “I promised to pass the Death Penalty for Terrorists law
– we did. And now the death row and hanging facility are also starting to take
shape.”
Reports
of the construction of the gallows, which will execute only Palestinians
convicted of terror offences in the military courts system, and not Jewish
extremists, follows the passage of a new law earlier this year. The law
requires military courts to apply the death penalty as the only available
sentence, unless the court finds special circumstances allowing for life
imprisonment.
Jewish
Israelis are in effect protected from the death penalty by a provision that
applies the law only to murder committed with the “intent to deny the existence
of the state of Israel”.
Ben-Gvir,
who himself has convictions for incitement to racism, interfering with a police
officer performing his duty, and support for a terrorist organisation (Meir
Kahane’s banned Kach movement), has served as Israel’s national security
minister since 2022 except for a two-month gap last year.
One of
the main drivers of Israel’s new death penalty law, Ben-Gvir has a long history
of extremist statements and provocations. He celebrated his 50th birthday in
May with the gift of a birthday cake decorated with the iced image of a noose.
The death
penalty law, one of two passed by Israeli MPs this year, has drawn widespread
international condemnation since it passed the Knesset by 62 votes to 48 over
allegations that it is fundamentally discriminatory.
“It also
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, which is maintained by scores of discriminatory laws against
Palestinians,” said Erika Guevara-Rosas, a senior director at Amnesty
International, when the law was passed.
Ben-Gvir
in recent months became the subject of sanctions by France and Ireland in
addition to UK sanctions imposed on him last year, attracted widespread
criticism only days ago for advocating a policy of punitive killings in Gaza of
30-40 people a night.
“I think
we should be doing 30 to 40 targeted assassinations per night,” Ben-Gvir said.
“Not just those who pose an immediate threat. There are people there who don’t
deserve to live … They are
not even people.”
The
French foreign minister, Jean-Noël Barrot, on Wednesday called Ben-Gvir’s
comments “unacceptable and inhuman”, while the German chancellor, Friedrich
Merz, said he strongly condemned “the inhumane appeals made by minister
Ben-Gvir, which violate international law”.
The UN
secretary general, António Guterres, ecalled Ben-Gvir’s comments “appalling”,
“outrageous”, “dehumanising” and “dangerous”.
The video
emerged amid growing wider international condemnation of Israel’s behaviour,
including the issuing of new tenders for the massive E1 settlement block
outside Jerusalem, which was denounced by the UK foreign secretary, Ed
Miliband, as an “unacceptable and destructive act” that risked separating the
West Bank from East Jerusalem. He summoned Israel’s charge d’affaires in
protest.
“The UK
has been clear privately and publicly in our opposition to E1 and our support
for a two-state solution as the only way to ensure long-term security and peace
for both Palestinians and Israelis,” Miliband said. “All settlements damage
that prospect and are a flagrant breach of international law.”
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