Bar Kuperstein, a former hostage recently freed from captivity in Gaza, has revealed that his captors beat and starved him as retaliation for the publicized harsh treatment of Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. Kuperstein described severe abuse, including being beaten so badly he could not walk for a month, and said his captors explicitly linked their actions to statements and policies by National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir. In response, Ben Gvir rejected responsibility, accusing the media of adopting the narrative of Hamas and defending his approach to prison conditions. The revelations have reignited debate in Israel over the impact of government policies on hostages and prisoners, as well as the public handling of sensitive security issues.