Israel‘s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has unveiled an under-construction facility described as a “gallows complex” for Palestinians. This is intended exclusively to execute Palestinians convicted of terror offences, with Ben-Gvir promising that there’ll be viewing booths available for those who want to watch the executions in person.
In a video released on social media, Ben-Gvir talked viewers through the unidentified location, pointing to under-construction foundations and saying that this is where “terrorists will be executed”.
As reported by The Guardian, Ben-Gvir says the construction of the gallows complex will fulfil promises he’d made in the past, saying: “I promised to worsen the conditions of terrorists in prisons – we kept it. 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.”
“The only available sentence”
The Death Penalty for Terrorists law is a piece of highly controversial legislation that requires military courts to impose the death penalty on Palestinians convicted of deadly terror offences as “the only available sentence”.
The law has been widely criticized as discriminatory for only applying to Palestinians rather than Jewish settlers accused of similar crimes. As written, the death penalty law can only be applied to those who commit murder with the “intent to deny the existence of the state of Israel”, which de facto excludes Jewish Israelis.
Ben-Gvir is, as you might expect, a prominent cheerleader for the law, to the point that when he celebrated his birthday in May, his cake was decorated with a noose:
He has also made international headlines with a video showing him abusing flotilla detainees and with a series of comments about how he would like to see Israel treating Palestinians, saying recently that, “I think we should be doing 30 to 40 targeted assassinations per night. “Not just those who pose an immediate threat. There are people there who don’t deserve to live … They are not even people.”
The United Nations has condemned Ben-Gvir’s remarks in strong language, with UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ spokesperson Stephane Dujarric saying, “These remarks are appalling. They are outrageous. They are dehumanizing. And they are dangerous. And we condemn them unequivocally.”
In past comments, Ben-Gvir said, “We will not allow a single gram of aid into the Gaza Strip until its people kneel and beg. Gaza must be leveled to the ground. There is no such thing as innocent people.”
Published: Aug 21, 2026 06:54 am