Itamar Ben-Gvir posted footage from Hassan Salameh’s cell, flanked by masked armed guards, telling him he wants to kill and execute him, and vowed to push for executions of Palestinian prisoners if he becomes defense minister.
Hamas described the video as “for show” and warned that the threat could pave the way for new killings of Palestinian prisoners, saying Israeli prisons had become “execution grounds.” In late March 2026, the Knesset passed a law allowing the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners by 62 votes to 48.