Ben-Gvir: 100 Israeli doctors volunteer to carry out execution of Palestinian prisoners

OCCUPIED QUDS, Dec. 23 (YPA) – Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir stated on Tuesday that approximately 100 Israeli doctors have expressed their willingness to carry out the death penalty against Palestinian prisoners, should the proposed legislation currently before the Knesset be enacted.

Speaking during a heated session of the parliamentary National Security Committee, Ben Gvir discussed the bill which seeks to mandate the death penalty for Palestinian prisoners convicted of killing Israelis. The proposal stipulates that the execution be carried out via lethal injection within a 90-day period.

Ben Gvir claimed that dozens of doctors have “volunteered” for the task, despite the Israel Medical Association’s formal refusal to participate in any executions. He further asserted that the Shin Bet security service supports the bill as a means of enhancing “deterrence.”

The session saw sharp confrontations, notably when Einat Ovadia, Executive Director of the Zulat Institute for Human Rights, criticized the bill, stating that “the death penalty is not a punishment, but killing.” In response, Ben Gvir accused her of supporting Hamas, according to footage he released.

The bill passed its first reading in the Knesset last November. It requires two additional successful readings to become law, amid a backdrop of increasing international and domestic scrutiny regarding the treatment of Palestinian detainees.

YPA