Ben-Gvir threatens imprisoned Hamas figure in campaign video

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir posted video of himself confronting imprisoned Hamas figure Hassan Salameh and saying he wanted to kill and execute him, tying the threat to his campaign for a future role as defence minister. The footage, published on September 27, shows Ben-Gvir speaking to Salameh in a prison cell while security personnel stand nearby. Ben-Gvir said the encounter had taken place about two weeks earlier. In the video, Ben-Gvir refers to prison conditions he says he imposed and tells Salameh that the punishment will continue. Translations of the threat vary slightly, but the footage shows him saying he wants Salameh killed or put to death. Ben-Gvir later described the meeting as a personal closing of the circle, recalling that he protested as a teenager after the 1996 Jerusalem bus bombings for which Salameh was convicted. In a post accompanying the footage, Ben-Gvir said that if he became defence minister after Israel’s October 27 election, he would pursue executions for Palestinian prisoners convicted of deadly attacks. He has made obtaining the defence portfolio a demand for his Jewish Power party to join the next government.