Hardline Israeli minister proposes execution of 'Hamas elite forces' in Israeli captivity

By Ahmed Asmar

ANKARA (AA) - Hardline Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Monday proposed that the Israeli authorities implement the execution of Hamas elite forces in Israeli captivity unless the Hamas group releases Israeli captives.

Ben-Gvir made the statement in a Knesset faction meeting for his right-wing Jewish Power Party, according to the Times of Israel news website.

"Every day the [Israeli] hostages are not returned we should put another Nukbha [fighter] to death,” he says, referring to the elite Hamas forces captured by the Israeli forces on Oct. 7.

He also voiced strong objection to increasing aid trucks into Gaza or transferring money to the Palestinian Authority, in reference to the Palestinian taxes collected by Israel on behalf of the Palestinian Authority.

"You don't bring in 200 fuel trucks, you don't transfer money to any official," Ben-Gvir also said, pointing his words to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

There is no exact figure on how many Hamas fighters are held by the Israeli army, who were arrested on Oct. 7.

In previous statements, Ben-Gvir reiterated his rejection to stop the war on Gaza, threatening to bring down the ruling coalition if the war stops.

Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip from the air and land, imposed a siege, and mounted a ground offensive in retaliation for a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.

At least 19,453 Palestinians have since been killed and 52,286 injured in the Israeli onslaught, according to Gaza’s health authorities.

The Israeli death toll in the Hamas attack stands at 1,200, while over 130 hostages are still held by the Palestinian group in Gaza, according to official figures.