Israel’s national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has published a video showing the construction of a gallows complex at an undisclosed location. The facility features viewing booths for victims’ families. The project follows the Knesset’s passage of a military-court death penalty law for Palestinians convicted of terror offenses.
The far-right minister toured the active construction site where foundations are being laid for what he termed a dedicated execution facility for prisoners. Footage broadcast across Israeli media displayed bulldozers and heavy equipment operating within a cordoned-off area reportedly close to a prison. In the video posted to social media, Ben-Gvir pointed directly at the foundations.
“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.”
Itamar Ben-Gvir, National Security Minister
Legislative Framework and Discriminatory Provisions
The visible construction follows the passage of the Death Penalty for Terrorists Law earlier this year. The legislation mandates military courts to apply the death penalty as the only available sentence for Palestinians convicted of terror offences, leaving life imprisonment only for cases where courts find special circumstances.
Photo: AOL
Critics point out that the law includes specific provisions shielding Jewish Israelis. The statute applies solely to murder committed with the intent to deny the existence of the state of Israel, a phrase that effectively exempts Jewish extremists accused of similar crimes. The Knesset passed the measure by a vote of 62 to 48, drawing immediate condemnation from international human rights bodies.
Senior director Erika Guevara-Rosas of Amnesty International stated at the time of the vote that the legislation dismantles fundamental safeguards against arbitrary deprivation of life and reinforces systemic discrimination. Meanwhile, human rights advocates have raised distinct alarms regarding the inclusion of family viewing booths at the gallows.
Asim Qureshi, a research director at CAGE international, told reporters that the viewing platform represents another example of the depravity embedded in Israeli politics, warning that the installation threatens to further coarsen the collective Israeli conscience.
Podcast Interviews and Escalating Rhetoric
The gallows announcement coincides with a broader public campaign by Ben-Gvir alongside former security personnel. During the inaugural episode of the podcast October 8 hosted by Rom Braslavski—a former Israeli soldier held captive in Gaza until October 2025—the former captive asked the minister for direct participation in executions.
“I have a personal request,” Braslavski told Ben Gvir, asking the minister to let him be “the one who hangs them”. “I don’t want a rope,” Braslavski said. “With my own hands I will execute every terrorist in the State of Israel.”
Photo: The Independent
Rom Braslavski, former Israeli soldier and hostage
Ben-Gvir responded enthusiastically to the request, telling Braslavski that he would try and turn the world upside down to make the arrangement possible, adding that seeing released captives execute prisoners ranked among his dreams. The minister asserted that detainees don’t deserve to live and are not even considered people.
These remarks follow a pattern of inflammatory statements regarding military operations in Gaza. Days prior to releasing the gallows footage, Ben-Gvir advocated for an intensified campaign of nightly killings in the enclave.
“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.”
International Repudiation and Domestic Disapproval
The cumulative statements and construction projects have provoked sharp rebukes from foreign capitals and international organizations. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot condemned the statements as unacceptable and inhuman, while German Chancellor Friedrich Merz stated that the appeals violate international law.
Israeli minister Ben Gvir posts video of gallows
Domestically, even conservative media outlets expressed concern over the political fallout. An op-ed published in the Jerusalem Post argued that building and publicizing execution facilities hands Israel’s enemies ammunition, noting that reasonable people do not take public joy in executions.
Despite mounting international sanctions from France, Ireland, and the United Kingdom, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has consistently refused to remove Ben-Gvir from office, leaving the far-right leader positioned within the government.
