MK Tropper Reveals Ben-Gvir's Statements Led to Hostage Abuse

Member of Knesset Hili Tropper revealed during an appearance on the Kan 11 program "Meeting with Roni Kovan" that statements made by Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir regarding Palestinian prisoners directly led to increased abuse of Israeli hostages held by Hamas. Tropper, currently Chairman of the 'Zionist House' party, stated that he knew in real-time that Ben-Gvir's pronouncements on prisoner conditions were being used by captors to justify mistreating the hostages. He recounted a meeting during the war where he and others presented Ben-Gvir with testimony that his public statements were causing further harm to the hostages, urging him to lower his public profile on the issue and adhere to international law. Ben-Gvir reportedly refused, arguing that abuse would occur regardless.

Tropper shared that some returned hostages reported being told by their captors that the abuse was a response to Ben-Gvir's actions concerning prisoners. This information, he stated, was known "in real time" and not just learned after the hostages' return. He expressed dismay that political considerations were being prioritized over the well-being of the hostages.

Michal Peylan, a welfare reporter for Channel 12 News and a vocal critic of the government, shared the clip on social media, questioning how Ben-Gvir continues to make decisions affecting citizens' lives. Reports from October 2025 had previously indicated that Hamas leadership had decided to retaliate against hostages following statements by Ben-Gvir about Palestinian prisoner conditions, a pattern confirmed by security officials who noted similar accounts of abuse from unrelated hostages.