JERUSALEM

Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir on Monday vowed to push for the death penalty by the electric chair against Palestinians involved in attacks against Israelis.

"Anyone who murders, harms and slaughters civilians should be sent to the electric chair," Ben-Gvir said during a meeting of his far-right Jewish Strength Party as cited by Israeli Channel 13.

Ben-Gvir is pushing the Knesset (Israel's parliament) to pass a bill to use the death penalty against Palestinians involved in attacks against Israelis.

The far-right minister said he asked for imposing a curfew on Palestinian neighborhoods that pose a threat to Israel and to arrest those holding weapons.

On Sunday, Ben-Gvir ordered the demolition of 14 Palestinian-owned homes in occupied East Jerusalem under the pretext of lack of construction permits, according to his office.

Tension has flared up in the Palestinian territories in recent days amid a spate of attacks.

Seven Israelis were killed in a gun attack near a synagogue in occupied East Jerusalem on Friday, a day after nine Palestinians were killed in an Israeli military operation in the West Bank city of Jenin.

Ben-Gvir holds far-right views on the Palestinians and has called for their displacement. He has repeatedly joined Israeli settlers in storming the Al-Aqsa Mosque complex in East Jerusalem.

The far-right politician triggered a storm of Palestinian condemnations on Jan. 3, when he visited the flashpoint site amid warnings of unrest.

In November, Israeli President Isaac Herzog warned in a leaked audio that "the whole world is worried" about Ben-Gvir’s far-right views.

*Writing by Ahmed Asmar