Overview
- Itamar Ben-Gvir posted a video on August 15 revealing his visit to Ganot Prison where he taunted Marwan Barghouti with threats such as “You will not win” and “we will wipe him out.”,
- The 66-year-old Fatah leader appears visibly thin and frail, reinforcing family and rights groups’ assertions that he has endured prolonged solitary confinement and harsh conditions since October 2023.
- Palestinian officials labelled the encounter “organised state terrorism” and a direct threat to Barghouti’s life, urging the International Committee of the Red Cross to secure independent access to detainees.
- Israeli spokespeople confirmed the video’s authenticity but denied that Ben-Gvir threatened Barghouti or that prison staff abused him.
- The footage has intensified scrutiny of detainee conditions in Israeli prisons and raised questions about oversight as ceasefire and hostage negotiations remain stalled.