Israel’s Minister of Public Security has announced that Hamas prisoners will not be allowed to watch the upcoming World Cup, with plans to change existing regulations about prisoner’s rights to watch television. 

In a meeting on Sunday Gilad Erdan MK told Ofra Klinger, the head of the country’s prison service, to prevent inmates who are members of the organisation from watching the football competition, which begins next month.

“I have no intention of allowing Hamas terrorists to watch the World Cup, at a time when the bodies of our soldiers are being held in Gaza, together with our kidnapped citizens,” the minister said.

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The bodies of two Israeli soldiers, Hadar Goldin and Oron Shaul, have been held by Hamas in Gaza since 2014.

Additionally, two Israeli citizens, Avera Mengistu and Hisham al-Sayed, both of whom have a history of mental problems, were kidnapped by Hamas after they crossed the border into Gaza, and have been held four and three years respectively.

“Whoever has left the family of nations and chosen the culture of murder and terror should not enjoy an international sports competition that brings together people from all over the world.” Mr Erdan said.

Under regulations enacted in 1997, prisoners must be allowed to watch television. There are currently approximately 6,500 Palestinians detained in Israeli jails, with no measures in place to separate prisoners deemed to be security threats – including Hamas members – from the general prison population.

The proposed ban on Hamas operatives watching World Cup games came from the “Choosing Life” forum, according to the Times of Israel.

The forum, which is made up of 74 families who have lost loved ones as a result of Hamas attacks, said that the move was the first of a number of suggestions to “prevent the terrorists who murdered our loved ones from continuing to celebrate in the prisons.”