HRF Files War Crimes Complaint Against Itamar Ben Gvir with U.S. Department of Justice27 June 2026 — The Hind Rajab Foundation (HRF) has filed a request for prosecution to the United States Department of Justice (DOJ) against Itamar Ben Gvir, the Israeli Minister of National Security, for his involvement in war crimes—including against U.S. nationals—acts of genocide, and direct incitement to genocide. The request was submitted ahead of Ben Gvir’s expected presence in New York City on 7-8 July.
As the Minister of National Security, Ben Gvir sets the policies for the Israeli police, the Israeli Prison Service (IPS), and the Israeli Firearm Licensing Department, among other departments. Since his appointment to the position in late 2022, Ben Gvir has used his authority to enact a policy of systematic torture, murder, abuse, and forced displacement across Occupied Palestine, and particularly within the IPS.
A Network of Torture CampsFrom the moment Ben Gvir assumed his role as Minister of National Security, he has made it his explicit goal to worsen conditions for Palestinians detained in the Israel Prison Services (IPS). As he stated on 2 July 2024, “Since I took office as Minister of National Security, one of the top goals I set for myself was to worsen the conditions of terrorists in prisons and reduce their rights to the minimum required by law.”
This intention has translated into concrete policy measures and public praise for their implementation, establishing that the abusive conditions imposed on detainees were intended, authorized, and endorsed at the ministerial level. He detailed that he had significantly tightened prison conditions, eliminating what he described as “privileges” such as cash deposits, canteens, electrical appliances, exercise yards, extended showers, spokesperson status, and food he considered “luxury.”
Numerous Palestinians, international bodies, and NGOs, have reported that, under Ben Gvir’s leadership, the IPS has become a network of torture camps. Prisoners have been subjected to starvation, routine beatings, shackling, sleep deprivation, denial of medical care, electrocution, suspension, sexual violence, extremely tight handcuffing, and forced stress positions, among other methods.
Acts of sexual violence including forced nudity, including during interrogations; repeated strip searches; filming prisoners while nude; beating
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