Israel's extreme-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has ordered photographs of devastation from Gaza to be printed and hung on the walls of Israeli prisons, forcing Palestinian detainees to look at them daily as part of what rights groups call psychological torture.
According to Israel's Channel 12, Ben-Gvir personally supervised the move, appearing in a video standing next to images of destroyed buildings in Gaza.
"That's what the prisoners need to see every day," he reportedly said. Another clip circulating online shows him telling detainees: "I hope they all see their houses here."
Palestinian prisoner rights groups condemned the measure as part of an intensifying campaign of abuse against detainees since Israel's assault on Gaza began in October 2023.
The Palestinian Prisoners' Club and the Commission of Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said testimonies collected in recent weeks reveal extremely abusive conditions in notorious facilities such as Ramla prison and the Sde Teiman military camp, including isolation, denial of sunlight, and humiliating treatment.
Prisoners described being shackled, forced to sit on bare metal after mattresses were removed, and subjected to constant verbal abuse.
Some returned from visits in tears or showing visible signs of beatings, the groups said, warning that the psychological trauma was "systematic and deliberate".
Ben-Gvir has previously faced criticism for promoting the abuse and ill-treatment of Palestinian prisoners. Earlier this month, footage emerged of him threatening senior Fatah leader Marwan Barghouti inside Ramon prison.
UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric called that incident "disturbing" and reiterated that detainees must be treated "in a way that abides by international law and respects their inherent dignity".
Rights organisations say Israel currently holds more than 10,800 Palestinians, including 49 women, 450 children, and over 2,300 classified as "unlawful combatants". This number excludes those detained in military camps as well as prisoners from Lebanon and Syria.
Since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, more than 62,100 Palestinians have been killed, according to the enclave’s health ministry. The campaign has flattened entire neighbourhoods and left the territory on the brink of famine.
The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants last November for Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and former Defence Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza. Israel also faces ongoing genocide proceedings at the International Court of Justice.
Palestinian and international human rights organisations say Ben-Gvir's latest actions confirm the systematic use of psychological and physical torture in Israeli prisons, calling on the international community to intervene to "save detainees from daily terror".