Since late 2022, Israeli occupation prisons have witnessed an unprecedented escalation in policies of repression and abuse, led by the far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. These policies reached their peak on Friday morning, February 13, 2026, when Ben Gvir stormed prisoners' cells in Ofer Prison near Ramallah, in a showy move aimed at bolstering his image among his extremist audience.
Human rights sources reported that Ben Gvir personally participated in the assault on prisoners, trampling on their heads during the repression operations carried out by special units. The raid was accompanied by extensive use of police dogs and stun grenades inside the sections, amidst Israeli media coverage that deliberately published scenes of humiliation to intimidate Palestinian society.
A lawyer who visited Section 26 in Ofer Prison conveyed harsh testimonies from prisoners, who confirmed that the raid took place during the evening security check and lasted for about fifteen minutes of continuous abuse. Ben Gvir aims to use these video clips to turn the suffering of prisoners into material for political propaganda, coinciding with his frantic efforts to pass the prisoners' execution law.
In the context of continuous threats, Ben Gvir warned prisoners against undertaking any protest movements during the holy month of Ramadan, threatening to intensify penalties to the maximum extent. The extremist minister boasted that prisons had become a 'real hell' under his tenure, considering the deprivation of prisoners' basic rights an effective means of achieving security deterrence.
Institutionally, the Israeli Prison Service announced last December its full adoption of Ben Gvir's policies, confirming no intention to alleviate the harsh detention conditions. Observers believe that this harmony between the political level and the executive body reflects the transformation of cruelty from individual practices to an official doctrine adopted by the occupation institutions.
In parallel with the field repression, the 'Jewish Power' party continues to push for the passage of the prisoners' execution law, which passed its first reading in the Knesset in November 2025. This legislation aims to legitimize killings and liquidations of prisoners under legal cover, turning prisons from detention centers into camps for slow, systematic extermination.
Medical and human rights reports indicate a complete collapse of the health system inside prisons, where deliberate medical neglect and starvation are rampant as tools of torture. Human rights organizations have recorded a sharp increase in deaths due to severe beatings and systematic sexual assaults suffered by detainees, especially those from the Gaza Strip.
The Palestinian Prisoner's Club announced an increase in the number of martyrs of the prisoner movement since the start of the war of extermination in Gaza to 88 martyrs, the latest of whom was paramedic Hatem Rayan. Data confirms that 52 of these martyrs are detainees from Gaza who died under torture, while the fate of dozens remains unknown due to the policy of enforced disappearance.
The total number of martyrs of the prisoner movement since 1967 has reached 325 martyrs, while the occupation authorities continue to detain the bodies of 96 prisoners who died inside prisons. This phase is considered the bloodiest in the history of the prisoner movement, where death has become an expected outcome of detention in the absence of international oversight.
As of early 2026, the number of prisoners in occupation prisons exceeded 9,300, including 350 children facing inhumane conditions. The number of administrative detainees also rose to 3,300 people, held without charge or trial, as part of the collective detention policy pursued by the occupation as a tool of political punishment.
In a new field escalation, occupation forces carried out a widespread arrest campaign in the West Bank, affecting at least 60 Palestinians from Sunday evening until Monday morning. The arrests included women, a journalist, and former prisoners, and were accompanied by widespread destruction of homes and intimidation of families before the arrival of Ramadan.
Statistics indicate that the number of arrests in the West Bank since October 2023 has exceeded 22,000 cases, a figure that reflects the scale of the frenzied attack against Palestinians. These arrests are carried out daily and systematically, with detainees subjected to harsh field interrogations and detention conditions that degrade human dignity.
Experts believe that the 'deterrence' policies promoted by Ben Gvir could lead to counterproductive results and ignite the situation in all Palestinian territories. The pressure exerted inside prisons, along with killings and starvation, creates a state of popular tension that cannot be contained, turning prisons into an open confrontation arena.
The project led by the far-right in Israel goes beyond the concept of traditional punishment to the extent of crimes against humanity according to international organizations' classifications. In light of the international community's silence, the occupation system continues to expand the 'triangle of death' consisting of torture, racist legislation, and field executions, threatening the lives of thousands of prisoners.
Prisons have become a real prison, not a hotel, and we will continue to work until the law for the execution of saboteurs is passed.
شارك برأيك
Ben Gvir Tramples Prisoners' Heads in Ofer: Systematic Escalation and 'Slow Genocide' Policies Inside Prisons