National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir has called on Prison Service chief Kobi Yaakobi to remain in his post despite an expected indictment against him. The attorney general is reportedly planning to charge Yaakobi with breach of trust and obstructing an investigation, alleging that he informed a former senior police detective about a covert probe into suspected coverups of Jewish nationalist violence.

Ben Gvir praised Yaakobi as a 'hero of Israel' and credited him with leading what he described as a revolution within the Prison Service. He said Yaakobi restored deterrence and implemented long-neglected policies after years in which, according to the minister, terrorists effectively controlled prison wings.

Under Yaakobi’s leadership, however, prisoner conditions have sharply deteriorated, particularly for Palestinian security inmates. A report from the Public Defender’s Office described meager food portions, regular beatings, unsanitary conditions and severe overcrowding, with criminal prisoners also facing chronic congestion despite somewhat better treatment.