Ben Gvir, Hanegbi spar over whether to allow Red Cross visits to Palestinian prisoners

National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and National Security Adviser Tzachi Hanegbi engage in a public war of words over the issue of potential Red Cross visits to security prisoners, after the two engaged in a bitter shouting match on the topic last night in the security cabinet meeting.

After a petition by several organizations was brought to the Supreme Court demanding that Israel give the Red Cross access to prisoners, including Hamas terrorists, the issue was brought up briefly in the meeting last night.

Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused Ben Gvir of leaking to the media on the topic and later left the meeting. No vote was held on the matter.

The Red Cross has been pushing for access to Israeli prisons amid mounting reports of abuse, severe mistreatment of prisoners and unsanitary conditions.

According to multiple Hebrew-language reports, Hanegbi then ran the meeting and announced that Settlements Minister Orit Strock would be the last speaker. Ben Gvir demanded to speak on the prisoners issue, but when Hanegbi refused to allow him to do so, a shouting match erupted.

“That’s not your job. You’re just an adviser!” said Ben Gvir. “You’re an adviser and you have no authority to… allow the Red Cross to [visit] terrorists.”

“I recommend that you behave like an adviser and not interfere with the Prison Service,” Ben Gvir added.

“Of course, because you are the best minister — one who excels in his position,” Hanegbi said sarcastically.

On Friday afternoon, Ben Gvir took to X, saying that Hanegbi “recommends to the prime minister to allow Red Cross visits to terrorists in prisons at a time when our hostages are languishing in tunnels. Thank God, yesterday in the cabinet, he failed to secure a majority among the ministers for this disgrace, which I and the Israel Prison Service strongly oppose, but the Prime Minister has not yet completely removed this outrageous proposal from the agenda.”

In response, the National Security Council responded in a statement, explaining that the IDF, Shin Bet, National Security Council, and Defense, Justice and Foreign ministries all agree to oppose Red Cross visits to prisoners from the Gaza Strip and those in Hamas and Islamic Jihad, “as long as such visits are not allowed to our hostages.”

“The state does not oppose visits to other prisoners, subject to the position of the security agencies regarding each specific visit,” says the NSC.

The body adds that a vote on the matter was delayed in order to let Ben Gvir offer his position and that there was never a vote scheduled for last night.

“The prime minister removed the topic from the agenda last night after sharply criticizing deliberate leaks that, according to him, originated from the national security minister,” says the NSC.

“The prime minister clarified that the issue will be discussed in a forum from which there are no leaks,” says the NSC, hinting that Ben Gvir will not be present.