Israeli prison chief warns of looming escalation inside jails The head of Israel’s Prison Service warns that Israeli jails are close to a dangerous escalation, as conditions for Palestinian captives continue to deteriorate amid the ongoing war. Appearing before the Knesset’s National Security Committee on Tuesday, Prison Service chief Kobi Yaakobi says tensions inside security wings are reaching a breaking point, the Israeli daily Haaretz reported. “There’s a sense that the war is [ongoing] at a low intensity,” Yaakobi tells lawmakers, linking developments inside prisons to Israel’s broader military campaign. He says the situation behind bars is especially volatile, adding, “I can say with certainty that, inside the prisons, we’re on the verge of [a violent escalation].” Rights groups have repeatedly warned that Israel’s prison system has become another front in the war, with Palestinian prisoners facing intensified repression, collective punishment and worsening conditions since Israel’s genocide in Gaza.