Gaza Herald _ A controversial new measure by Israeli authorities has sparked outrage after plans emerged to dig crocodile-filled moats around a high-security section of Ketziot Prison holding Palestinian detainees from Gaza.
The project has drawn criticism over its legal, ethical, and environmental implications, with opponents warning that it reflects an increasingly punitive approach toward Palestinian detainees as the war on Gaza continues to reshape conditions both inside and outside Israeli prisons.
Israeli authorities have begun digging moats intended for crocodiles around a high-security wing at Ketziot Prison that holds Palestinian detainees from Gaza, according to Israel’s Yedioth Ahronoth newspaper. The project has drawn legal and environmental criticism inside Israel, with experts warning that it lacks both legal and professional justification.
The newspaper reported that excavation work began Wednesday on a network of trenches extending approximately 170 meters around one of the prison’s most heavily guarded sections.
A senior official from the Ramat Negev Regional Council said the trenches are being dug entirely within the prison compound and cannot be seen from outside.
“No one knows whether crocodiles will actually be placed there, but the preparations are underway,” the official was quoted as saying.
Israel’s National Security Ministry confirmed that construction of the crocodile channels has begun.
The initiative follows a decision by Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman to classify the Nile crocodile as a “domesticated wild animal,” despite objections from legal advisers and wildlife experts within her own ministry.
According to the report, National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s office said the decision cleared the way for the project, adding that a pilot phase has officially begun at Ketziot Prison.
“Anyone who thought this was merely a publicity stunt was mistaken,” Ben-Gvir’s office said.
The Israel Prison Service has reportedly developed plans to house and care for the crocodiles, while prison staff have received training on handling the animals. The project has been allocated approximately 21 million shekels (about $6.3 million).
Since October 2023, Israel has detained hundreds of Palestinians from Gaza whom it says were affiliated with Hamas’ Nukhba unit. They are expected to face special judicial proceedings.
Ben-Gvir has previously released videos from Ketziot Prison showing harsh detention conditions, including severe movement restrictions, the confiscation of blankets, reduced food rations, forcing detainees to sleep on metal beds, repeated broadcasts of Israel’s national anthem over loudspeakers, and images of destruction in Gaza displayed on prison walls.
The crocodile project has triggered widespread criticism within Israel. According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority convened a special meeting to discuss the proposal, with all participants opposing the plan.
The newspaper reported that Silman’s decision contradicted both her ministry’s legal advisers and the professional position of the Nature and Parks Authority.
Wildlife experts warned there is no legal or professional precedent for using crocodiles as part of prison security and said the project could violate existing environmental protection laws.
The Nature and Parks Authority stated that wild animals may legally be kept only for educational, scientific, or public awareness purposes.
According to the report, the reclassification of the Nile crocodile was intended to create a legal pathway for the prison initiative. Similar classifications had previously been used for commercial crocodile farming, but those policies were abandoned after repeated incidents involving escaped animals and public safety concerns.
Ketziot, located in Israel’s Negev Desert, is the country’s largest prison and has long been used to imprison Palestinians from both the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.
According to Palestinian prisoner organizations, the number of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons has risen by more than 80 percent since the start of Israel’s war on Gaza in October 2023, exceeding 9,600 detainees compared with roughly 5,250 before the war.
Critics of the project say using wild animals as part of a prison security system goes beyond conventional security measures and raises serious concerns about the treatment and rights of Palestinian detainees. As the number of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons continues to rise amid the war on Gaza, human rights advocates argue that authorities should prioritize humane detention standards and legal protections rather than introducing measures that could further intensify the suffering of those in custody.
