Itamar Ben-Gvir, far-right National Security Minister of Israel, called for holding Lebanese civilians, including women and children, as leverage against Hezbollah.
The proposal was made during Tuesday’s security cabinet meeting. Ben-Gvir said, word for word:
„Let’s start thinking outside the box about Hezbollah. Conquering territory and killing terrorists is not enough. We must hold their women and children and place them in prisons for terrorists. That will hurt them the most.”
Controversy and reactions
Ben-Gvir’s remarks were widely interpreted as a call for collective punishment of the civilian population, which is a serious violation of international humanitarian law. Under the Geneva Conventions, civilians may not be detained in order to exert pressure on armed groups.
Ben-Gvir, known for his extremist views and ties to the Kach movement (designated as a terrorist organization), has for years served as overseer of Israel’s prison system. He is one of the most controversial figures in the government of Benjamin Netanyahu.
Context of the conflict
The remarks came amid an ongoing escalation of Israeli operations in Lebanon. Despite a ceasefire announced in April, Israel has recently carried out thousands of airstrikes on southern Lebanon. According to Lebanese authorities, between April 17 and June 7 Israeli forces carried out nearly 3,500 airstrikes, including attacks on hospitals.
The Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights announced it would send a fact-finding mission to Lebanon to investigate possible violations of international law by all sides to the conflict.
International reactions
Ben-Gvir’s proposal drew sharp criticism from human rights organizations, including Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch, which have for years accused Israel of unlawful practices toward detainees, including the „unlawful combatants” law, which allows people to be held without charge.
So far, the Israeli government has not officially distanced itself from its minister’s words.
