Israel’s security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, from the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, wants to introduce the death penalty to overcome overcrowded prisons in the country.
He writes on social media that he welcomes the government’s decision to expand more prison places.
“I am happy that the government approved my proposal that would allow the Israel Defense Forces to build 936 additional prison places for security prisoners,” he writes on X and continues.
“The death penalty for terrorists is the right solution to the prison crisis, until then I’m glad the government approved my proposal”.
Thousands of Palestinians arrested
In a statement on Wednesday, the Gaza Information Office said over 5,000 Palestinians have been arrested by Israeli forces since the war between Israel and Hamas began on October 7.
It also said Palestinian prisoners were undergoing “the worst types of torture” in Israeli prisons and called on the international community to intervene.
In February, the Israeli Defense Agency published a report that some Israeli prisons in the country are in a state of emergency due to severe overcrowding.