Israel advances with crocodile pit in Palestinian prison

Israel's Minister of National Security, Itamar Ben-Gvir, defends the project for a maximum security prison in the south of the country. The structure is expected to cost US$6.3 million and was inspired by the American detention unit known as Alligator Alcatraz.

Ketziot is home to an undisclosed number of Palestinians accused of being part of Hamas' Nukhba force. The charges are linked to the attack against the Nova festival, on October 7, 2023.

The Israeli government reclassified the Nile crocodile as a wild animal under management to allow it to be kept there. The Minister of Environmental Protection, Idit Silman, states that the measure responds to overcrowding in the prison system and the lack of agents.

Silman says the animals will have a deterrent effect against escape attempts. "We are speaking a language that our enemies understand," declared the minister.

Moazzam Begg, director of human rights group CAGE International, called the plan meaningless. "The fact that we even try to rationalize the use of crocodiles as a legitimate security apparatus in the 21st century seems completely satirical," he said.

Begg claims that the adoption of the pit could increase violations against imprisoned Palestinians. "Adding crocodiles is just another cruel decision in the ongoing mistreatment of Palestinians," he said.

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority and environmental groups also oppose the reclassification of crocodiles. In a statement to the Times of Israel, the authority said there was not sufficient technical basis to keep the animals in secure facilities.

Ben-Gvir celebrated the decision in a Facebook post with an image generated by artificial intelligence. The minister wrote: "Damn terrorist, thinking about trying to escape? Think again."