Ben-Gvir Orders Closure of Prisoner-run Bakeries

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. (dpa)
Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. (dpa)
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Ben-Gvir Orders Closure of Prisoner-run Bakeries

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. (dpa)
Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. (dpa)

Israel's National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has ordered the closure of bakeries inside the Rimon and Ketziot jails, which provide fresh bread to the inmates.

Israeli media said that Ben-Gvir took this step because the bakeries are run by Palestinian inmates.

Speaking to Israel Hayom, Ben-Gvir said he "went crazy" after he knew about the bakeries.

"Prisoners cannot get such a privilege," he was quoted as saying.

This step follows a series of similar steps taken by Ben-Gvir including the transfer of inmates between prisons, depriving them of privileges, and building new strict departments.

Ben-Gvir also called for the death penalty for Palestinian attackers who killed Israelis.

The Commission for Detainees and Ex-Detainees Affairs said that the closure of bakeries proves that the occupation "has stripped itself of all humanitarian and ethical morals and values."

This also reflects the occupation’s failure to face the inmates in prisons, the Commission added in its statement.

It continued that the false claims by Ben-Gvir that the “inmates are living in luxury and hotels” are a justification he uses to escalate the war against the inmates.

The rise in tension in the prisons was triggered by raids by the repression units against several departments in Ofer, Naqab, Megiddo, and Damon prisons, assaulting prisoners, isolating dozens, and confiscating their belongings.

Palestinian prisoners started on Tuesday protest steps against the Israeli Prisons Administration, refusing to have breakfast or to undergo "security check". The inmates are exerting pressure on the Administration to back offon its recent measures.

The female prisoners in Damon prison delivered an audio message on Wednesday revealing that they are being tortured by the Israeli Prisons Administration.

There are 4,700 prisoners in Israeli occupation jails, including 29 women and 150 children and minors.



Lebanon's PM Says Country to Begin Disarming South Litani to Ensure State Presence

President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
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Lebanon's PM Says Country to Begin Disarming South Litani to Ensure State Presence

President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)
President Joseph Aoun met with PM Najib Mikati at Baabda palace. (NNA)

Lebanese caretaker Prime Minister Najib Mikati said on Friday that the state will begin disarming southern Lebanon, particularly the south Litani region, to establish its presence across the country.
"We are in a new phase - in this new phase, we will start with south Lebanon and south Litani specifically in order to pull weapons so that the state can be present across Lebanese territory," Mikati said.

Mikati's remarks followed a meeting with newly elected President Joseph Aoun at the Baabda Presidential Palace. Aoun was elected as the country's new head of state by parliament on Thursday, ending a vacancy in the presidency that had persisted for over two years.

In his address to parliament, Aoun pledged to control weapons outside the state's control, saying the government is the sole entity authorized to possess and use military force and weapons.
A ceasefire agreement that ended the 13-month-conflict between Israel and Hezbollah in November has given the Lebanese party 60 days to end its armed presence in southern Lebanon, while Israeli forces are also required to withdraw from the area over the same period.
The ceasefire agreement says Israeli forces will move south of the Blue Line “in a phased manner” within 60 days. The Lebanese army’s troops will deploy “in parallel” to the positions.