Ben-Gvir says Palestinians ‘should be shot in the head’

Israeli settlers’ “right to life prevails over the freedom of movement” of Palestinians, said Israeli occupation Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Sunday.

Speaking at a press conference at the site of a morning shooting operation near the city of Tarqumiyah in the southern West Bank governorate of al-Khalil, Ben-Gvir said he intends to demand from those who are responsible for deploying checkpoints in the West Bank that “no more taking freedom of movement into account.”

Al Mayadeen’s correspondent reported that three Israeli police officers were killed in the operation.

The operation is “a sign for those who are thinking of releasing terrorists,” the Israeli Minister said, referring to Palestinians.

“They are scum, they are murderers, they are human animals, they should not be released — they should be shot in the head in a properly run country. I hope the death penalty for terrorists law will finally pass,” he added.

This adds to Ben-Gvir’s list of controversial statements regarding the killing of Palestinian detainees.

In April, Ben-Gvir proposed the execution of Palestinian detainees as a way to address overcrowding in Israeli occupation prisons.

In a post on X, he asserted that imposing the death penalty on Palestinian detainees is the “right solution” to what he described as “the incarceration problem.”

Previously, the Israeli Minister had called for the daily execution of the longest-serving Palestinian detainees for each day an Israeli captive remains held by the Palestinian Resistance in the Gaza Strip.

Most recently, Ben-Gvir sparked widespread criticism and condemnation after he said he would build a synagogue in the al-Aqsa Mosque compound in the occupied city of al-Quds.

Ben-Gvir told the Israeli Army Radio that “the policies on the Temple Mount allow prayer, period,” referring to the Jewish name of the al-Aqsa Mosque compound.

After “Israel’s” occupation of the eastern part of al-Quds, it made an arrangement that permitted Jews to visit al-Aqsa Mosque but not perform rituals there.

However, in recent years, the increasing number of Israeli settlers, some performing provocative rituals accompanied by Israeli occupation forces, has heightened longstanding Palestinian concerns that “Israel” intends to occupy the sacred Islamic site.

Asked if he would build a synagogue inside the site, the Israeli Minister answered, “Yes”.

“The premier knows that when I joined the government I said in the simplest way that there will be no discrimination at the Temple Mount, just like Muslims can pray at the Western Wall,” Ben-Gvir added.

In his frenzy today, Ben-Gvir took a swing at the families of Israeli captives held in Gaza and said their criticism of the government’s handling of captives “echoes Hamas propaganda.”

He also blamed Security Minister Yoav Gallant for this morning’s shooting operation.

“Those who demand the release of thousands of terrorists and giving Hamas control of the Philadelpi Corridor are intentionally abandoning the security of Israel’s citizens. The blood of those murdered next shall be on his hands,” he said.

“The attack this morning in Tarqumiyah once again proved, unfortunately, the dire consequences of terrorists roaming freely in the field,” blaming Gallant for opening the roadblocks and calling for further restrictions on the Palestinians’ freedom of movement.