Ben-Gvir proposes 'crocodile prison,' mandatory death penalty for Palestinians
Israel’s far-right security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has proposed constructing a prison for Palestinian detainees "surrounded by crocodiles."
According to Israeli media, Ben-Gvir raised the idea during a briefing with Kobi Yaakobi, chief commissioner of the Israel Prison Service (IPS).
Channel 13 reported that the IPS is reviewing the proposal, which is reportedly "intended to prevent jailbreaks."
The facility would be located near Hamat Gader, a hot springs resort in the northern Israeli-occupied Golan Heights that already has a controlled alligator habitat.
Crocodiles would be added to a fenced prison enclosure to "deter escape attempts."
The proposal comes as the Knesset prepares to vote on a bill introduced by Ben-Gvir that would allow the execution of Palestinian prisoners accused of planning or carrying out attacks.
The legislation, initially aimed at Palestinians convicted of killing Israelis, does not apply to Israelis who kill Palestinians.
Earlier this week, Ben-Gvir expanded the draft bill to impose the death penalty as a "mandatory sentence" for those accused of carrying out attacks on October 7, 2023.
The bill has to pass two more readings in the Knesset before becoming law.
Orly Noy, the chair of Israeli human rights organization B'Tselem, condemned the plan, stating that the Israeli authority "will try anything before trying justice."
"The only thing left is just plain shooting at people in daylight in the streets. I don't think that there is much left besides that right now," Noy added.
"For decades, Israel has been digging trenches and building walls and fences and gates, yet people's sense of security is still deteriorating," the B'Tselem chief said.
Israel has intensified human rights violations against Palestinians held in Israeli prisons, with reports pointing to a growing number of deaths caused by harsh detention conditions, including a lack of medical care and mistreatment.
More than 110 Palestinian detainees have died in Israeli custody, under prison policies implemented by Ben-Gvir in the past two and a half years.
In November, Israel released nearly 2,000 prisoners, 1,700 of them from Gaza, under a ceasefire and prisoner exchange agreement with the Hamas resistance movement.
Many of those released were in poor health, recounting experiences of torture, starvation, and humiliation during their time in Israeli prisons.
Currently, nearly 10,000 Palestinians, including women and children, remain in Israeli prisons, where medical neglect and inhuman conditions have contributed to multiple deaths, according to reports from both Palestinian and Israeli human rights organizations.
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