The Political-Security cabinet decided Thursday to allow visits to the Nukhba Force terrorists imprisoned in Israel. Following the decision, an Israeli judge and two foreign observers will be brought into the prisons and they will provide information on the condition of the Hamas terrorists.
The decision was made after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed support for the move, and responded to Britain's request to allow visits by terrorists, which was presented as a condition for arms deals to Israel.
Against the backdrop of claims published around the world that Israel "abuses" the Nukhba Force prisoners, officials in the UK said they wanted to check whether Israel observes international law in relation to visiting prisoners. The type of information that can be passed on about the status of the terrorists and the mechanism of the visits will be determined in a separate discussion by the cabinet.
Cabinet members supported Netanyahu's position, except for ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir who voted against allowing the visits. Ben-Gvir, the minister of National Security, claimed that this was a submission to the British demand, and warned that it would damage Israel. Ben-Gvir, who by virtue of his position is in charge of the prison service, warned that the information about the condition of the Nukhba terrorists would flow to Hamas and the Palestinian Authority, who would pay salaries to the terrorists' families, and that the visits would encourage more terrorists.
During the cabinet meeting, there was a heated debate between Netanyahu and Ben-Gvir regarding the visits. The minister said that he would not object to visits to Nukhba prisoners if British representatives also visited the hostages in Gaza. "Let them see our hostages, and then they can see their terrorists," said Ben-Gvir. Smotrich told the two, "This is not a discussion that should be held in the cabinet, close it between you."
"Unfortunately, once again the prime minister is leading a wrong policy that harms deterrence," Ben-Gvir said Thursday evening. "Today's decision in the cabinet forcing us to have foreign observers visit the prisons to check the condition of terrorists is a serious mistake. Our hostages in Gaza receive abuse, not visits and concern for their rights."