Palestinian Authority (PA) leaders have warned the Israeli government of the consequences of the "reckless decisions" of the extremist Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, against Palestinian prisoners.
Recently, Ben-Gvir directed the Israeli Prison Service to reduce family visitation for Palestinian detainees imprisoned in Israeli jails from once a month to once every two months.
The head of the Palestinian Prisoners' Club, Qaddoura Fares, confirmed that targeting prisoners will have severe consequences in the face of the occupation and on all fronts.
Fares said in press statements that the factions, forces, and institutions would be united inside and outside the Israeli detention centers to support the prisoners.
He added that the decision of the extremist Ben Gvir comes within the framework of racist retaliatory behavior, aiming to harm the prisoners and their families and violate their basic rights.
Fares stressed that the coming period will prove that Ben-Gvir poses a threat to regional security and stability and the security of Israel itself.
-Family Visits
The vice president of the Prisoner's Club, Abdullah al-Zaghari, warned of the new decision, saying it harms the system and deprives thousands of family members of prisoners of visits for security pretexts.
He revealed that the prisoner movement is expected to announce several steps to confront this decision, and it is ready to resume its ongoing battle against the policies and procedures of the Israeli government.
He cautioned that if implemented, Ben-Gvir's measures would lead to an open confrontation with the prisoners, especially since this decision comes a week after the minister deprived them of their TV privileges.
Ben Gvir, facing a decline in popularity and widely referred to as a failed minister, reduced the family visits without coordinating with relevant security services, the Prison Service, the General Intelligence Service (Shin Bet), or the army.
Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper reported that the Commissioner General of the Prisons Authority, Katy Perry, opposed the decision and warned Ben-Gvir of its severe consequences.
-Sensitive issue
Speaking to the paper, sources within the Israeli military and the intelligence services warned that the security implications of the move had not been considered and that the decision was "irresponsible."
They emphasized that changing the circumstances of Palestinian prisoners is a huge event and could push them to a breaking point.
Ben-Gvir responded to this situation with a retaliatory decision against Perry, preventing her from traveling to Belgium to participate in an international conference, claiming her trip would be very expensive.
Notably, about 5,000 Palestinian prisoners are in Israeli prisons, and 2,200 are under administrative detention without trial or charges.
Since March 9, 2022, Israeli forces have been carrying out daily arrests.
Ben-Gvir belongs to a right-wing movement in Israel that claims that Palestinian prisoners enjoy good accommodation conditions.
Since forming the right-wing government led by Benjamin Netanyahu, Ben-Gvir has been making decisions regarding the prisoners despite receiving strong opposition from his associates.
He recently canceled the administrative discharge or early release of sick and elderly prisoners nearing the end of their sentence. It is a method used by the Prison Service to reduce prison overcrowding.
-Israeli forces kill a Palestinian
Israeli forces on Friday killed a Palestinian in the West Bank, the Palestinian health ministry said.
The ministry said Abdul Rahim Fayez Ghannam, 36, was "shot by live occupation (Israeli) fire in the head" in the village of Al-Aqaba in the northern West Bank, reported Agence France Presse (AFP).
The Israeli army said in a statement a firefight broke out, and a hit was identified on one of the gunmen.
Witnesses said that the dead man did not participate in the clashes and was in a nearby field when he was shot.
The army troops also "used shoulder-fired missiles and grenades" in the violence and subsequently found improvised explosive devices and other weapons in the building.
After Israeli forces withdrew, Palestinian residents inspected bullet marks and a hole left in the wall of a house.
-A new wave of violence
The West Bank has witnessed a wave of violence over the past eighteen months, with a series of attacks launched by Palestinians in Israeli cities.
Jewish settlers attacked Palestinian towns and villages, and the Israeli army intensified raids.
Thousands of Palestinians have been arrested and hundreds killed since last year in clashes with Israeli forces, including civilians who did not participate in the conflicts.
