File photo of far-right Israeli minister Itamar Ben Gvir

Beirut, July 1 (RHC)-- The Palestinian Islamic Jihad has vehemently condemned Israeli hardline minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s remarks, who recently called for the execution of Palestinian prisoners in the regime's jails by shooting them in the head.

In a Sunday statement, the Palestinian resistance movement said the remarks made by “the Nazi Itamar Ben-Gvir … reflect a heinous criminal mentality based on bloodshed.”  The Islamic Jihad added that the extremist Israeli minister’s call was in line with his previous policies against Palestinian inmates, including depriving them of food, water, and medicine, and practicing the most brutal forms of systematic torture against them.

The Palestinian Islamic Jihad noted that Ben-Gvir’s policies are a source of “disgrace for all those who deal with, support, and remain silent in the face of the crimes of the Zionist entity” against Palestinians.

“Our Palestinian people will face these criminal policies and the endangerment of our prisoners' lives with all strength, steadfastness, and commitment to resistance,” the movement said.  It concluded by adding, “The resistance forces will not abandon our brave prisoners in the hands of murderers and criminals.”

The Islamic Jihad’s statement came after Ben-Gvir was seen in a video statement as saying that Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails must be killed with a “shot to the head.”  He also urged the regime’s lawmakers to pass a bill that will make way for the execution of Palestinian prisoners.

The extremist minister added that Palestinian inmates should be given just enough food to keep them alive until the law is enacted.

In March 2023, the Knesset approved the preliminary reading of the bill that calls for the death penalty to be handed down to Palestinian prisoners. The proposed bill requires two more readings before it enters into force.

Earlier in April, Ben-Gvir had suggested that some Palestinians could be “killed” instead of being kidnapped during the regime’s genocidal war on Gaza.

“Why are there so many arrests? “Can’t you kill some? Do you want to tell me they all surrender? What are we to do with so many arrested? It’s dangerous for the soldiers,” Ben-Gvir was quoted as asking the Israeli military's chief of staff, Herzi Halevi, during a war cabinet meeting where he questioned the necessity of the detention of a large number of Palestinians.

Itamar Ben Gvir made the comments during an Israeli war cabinet meeting.  The minister also reportedly demanded that the army shoot Palestinian women and children in the besieged Palestinian territory to “protect” the Israeli forces.