A heated argument erupted between Israeli far-right ministers over the shortage of prison spaces, resulting in a clash over funding for new detention spaces. Netanyahu intervened to construct 470 new spaces, but the budget allocation issue is still unresolved.
The argument between National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich escalated, with Ben-Gvir demanding a special budget for his proposed 5,000 new prison places. Smotrich advised utilizing existing funds first, leading to a tense exchange.
Ben-Gvir has advocated for the death penalty for Palestinian detainees as a solution to overcrowding. He aims to worsen conditions for terrorists in prisons, despite allegations of torture and abuse against Palestinian detainees by Israeli authorities at Negev Prison.
The Palestinian Commission of Prisoners’ Affairs accused Israeli authorities of subjecting detainees to psychological and physical punishments, urging international intervention to uphold human rights.