Ben-Gvir unveils construction of dedicated prison wing to hang terrorists

A dedicated prison wing for people sentenced to death for terrorism-related offenses is being developed at a prison in central Israel, following the passage of legislation introducing the death penalty for convicted terrorists.

The initiative is being promoted by National Security Minister Ben-Gvir and his Otzma Yehudit party, which have made tougher prison conditions for security prisoners and the introduction of capital punishment major political priorities.

The planned facility would be designed specifically to house prisoners sentenced to death and, according to the plans described by Ben-Gvir’s office, would include a designated area for carrying out executions by hanging.

Rather than simply changing the legal framework surrounding capital punishment, the construction of a dedicated death-row facility would create the physical infrastructure needed to implement the policy.

According to the plans, the wing would contain a secured section for prisoners who receive death sentences under the new law. At the center of the proposed complex would be a facility intended for executions by hanging. The plans also include designated observation areas that could allow victims and relatives of victims to witness executions.

Another element of the proposal involves access for official representatives of bereaved families. Such visitors would reportedly be able to enter the designated area and observe procedures connected with the execution process.

Ben-Gvir presented the development as the fulfillment of political promises he made to supporters. In a statement, he said that his government had pledged to impose tougher detention conditions on terrorists and to advance legislation allowing the death penalty, arguing that both commitments had now been fulfilled.

“We promised, and we are keeping our promises,” Ben-Gvir said. He pointed to the prison measures and the death-penalty legislation before adding that the development of a death-row wing and execution facility represented the next stage of the policy.

“We are making history,” Ben-Gvir said, arguing that terrorists convicted under the law should face the harshest possible punishment.

The policy is likely to remain controversial because Israel has historically used the death penalty only in exceptional circumstances. The country's most famous execution was that of Adolf Eichmann in 1962. The introduction of a broader death-penalty framework for terrorism therefore marks a major change in Israeli criminal and security policy.

For Ben-Gvir and Otzma Yehudit, however, the development is being presented as more than a prison construction project. It is part of a broader effort to reshape Israel's policy toward Palestinian security prisoners and convicted terrorists, and to demonstrate to the families of victims that the government intends to impose the most severe penalties available under the new legislation.