Istanbul: Israel's far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Thursday openly boasted about starving Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Ben-Gvir made the remarks while attending a Supreme Court hearing on a petition filed by the Association for Civil Rights in Israel (ACRI) demanding an end to the systematic reduction of food provided to Palestinian detainees.

According to Anadolu Agency, Ben-Gvir expressed his views on the issue through a post on X, commenting on the ACRI's petition concerning the detention conditions of Palestinian prisoners. In his post, Ben-Gvir criticized the focus of the Supreme Court hearing, stating it was misplaced and mocking the discussion about the nutritional value of the prisoners' meals. He described the case as 'madness and delusion,' emphasizing that such discussions were happening while Israel was at war and soldiers were sacrificing their lives.

Ben-Gvir affirmed his commitment to continuing the policy of providing the minimum amount of food to the prisoners, whom he referred to as 'terrorists.' This statement comes amid increasing criticism from rights groups about the worsening conditions in Israeli prisons, particularly regarding the food provided to Palestinian detainees. Reports have indicated that many prisoners have experienced significant weight loss since Ben-Gvir took office in late 2022.

The Association for Civil Rights in Israel, in a Facebook post, accused Ben-Gvir of attending the court session to disrupt proceedings and deliver populist statements. The group emphasized that the petition was supported by numerous testimonies describing a policy that reduces food to starvation levels. As of now, no decision has been reached by the court regarding the petition.

According to the Israel Prison Service, there are currently 10,762 Palestinian detainees in Israeli jails. Human rights organizations have frequently documented allegations of torture, severe medical neglect, and harsh detention conditions faced by these detainees.