JERUSALEM

Israel's far-right former National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir boasted about forcing Palestinian prisoners to kneel at gunpoint and paint over slogans they had written on prison walls, including "Arab Jerusalem."

“Proud of the Israel Prison Service, in the Ktzi'ot Prison (Negev Desert), it emerged that incitement inscriptions were written on the walls of several cells in the security wings,” Ben-Gvir wrote Monday on X.

Palestinian prisoners had written phrases such as “We will not forget, we will not forgive, we will not kneel, Jerusalem is Arab,” said the former minister, who also heads the far-right Jewish Strength (Otzma Yehudit) political party.

Ben-Gvir, who resigned last month in protest of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s ceasefire agreement with Hamas, said prison guards “broke into the cells, forcing the prisoners to get down on their knees and paint the wall.”

He posted a video showing prisoners being forced to paint over the slogans while Israeli guards kept their weapons aimed at them.

Israel blocks prisoner release despite Hamas compliance

On Saturday, Yedioth Ahronoth daily reported that Palestinian prisoners set for release that day from Ktzi'ot Prison had written slogans on the prison walls, including, "We will not forget, we will not forgive, we will not kneel" and "We will all die, but we will die as martyrs."

The slogans were reportedly a response to Israeli mistreatment and efforts to humiliate them by forcing them to wear shirts with phrases meant to degrade them psychologically.

However, Israel blocked the release of approximately 620 Palestinian prisoners scheduled to be freed Saturday, despite Hamas fulfilling its obligations under the deal.

The first phase of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement, which began on Jan. 19, includes three stages, each lasting 42 days, with negotiations required before moving to the next phase.

While Netanyahu has delayed talks for the second phase — originally set to begin on Feb. 3 — the first phase resulted in the release of 29 Israeli prisoners (out of 33 planned) including four bodies, in exchange for 1,755 Palestinian prisoners.

Systematic abuses of Palestinian prisoners

Israel has continued systematic abuses of Palestinian prisoners, particularly those set for release under the ceasefire deal with resistance group Hamas.

On Saturday, Israeli authorities forced prisoners to wear shirts printed with a verse from the Torah, underscoring Israel’s punitive approach.

Israel's public broadcaster reported that Palestinian prisoners were forced to wear white shirts inscribed with the Arabic inscription: "I pursued my enemies and overtook them; I did not turn back till they were destroyed." The verse was taken from Psalm 18:37.

According to the Maariv newspaper, the shirts, featuring the Israel Prison Service logo, were ordered by Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi in consultation with security officials.

The newspaper added that Israel also modified prisoners’ identification bracelets to include the phrase: “The eternal people do not forget. I pursue my enemies and overtake them.”

Repeated humiliations of released prisoners

Israeli authorities have repeatedly subjected released Palestinian prisoners to psychological humiliation.

On Feb. 15, just before the sixth batch of Palestinian prisoners was freed, Israel’s public broadcaster aired images showing prisoners wearing white shirts printed with the Star of David, the Israel Prison Service logo, and the phrase “We do not forget, we do not forgive” on both sides.

The Star of David, a Jewish symbol adopted by the Zionist movement before Israel’s establishment, appears at the center of Israel’s national flag.

Prisoners were photographed in these outfits from the front and back while standing and kneeling.

Israel’s public broadcaster said that previous prisoner groups were forced to wear bracelets with similar phrases.

The broadcaster reported that Yaakobi personally ordered these measures.

Yedioth Ahronoth noted that in earlier releases, Palestinian prisoners were forced to wear identification bracelets bearing slogans from the Israel Prison Service and were shown a film about destruction in Gaza.

In contrast to Israel’s treatment of Palestinian prisoners, Hamas has emphasized humane conditions for Israeli detainees.

During the first prisoner exchange in November 2023, released Israeli prisoners described being treated with care while in captivity in Gaza, with some even receiving gifts before their transfer to the Red Cross.

A Gaza ceasefire and prisoner swap deal took effect last month, halting Israel’s genocidal war, which has killed nearly 48,350 people, mostly women and children, and left the enclave in ruins.

The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants in November for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant for war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.

Israel also faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its war on the enclave.