Tarek Chouiref
17 July 2026•Update: 17 July 2026
Israel has taken a legal step toward implementing a controversial proposal by extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir to surround prisons holding Palestinian detainees with crocodile-filled moats, Hebrew media reports said Thursday.
Israel’s Channel 7 said Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman signed an order reclassifying crocodiles as “managed wild animals,” allowing government bodies, including the Israel Prison Service, to keep them in their facilities under specified conditions.
The move removes a key legal obstacle that had stymied the plan, as crocodiles were previously classified as protected wild animals that could only be kept in licensed zoos, the broadcaster said.
Channel 13 said the legal change followed objections by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority to the proposed project, dubbed the “crocodile prison” by Hebrew media.
Ben-Gvir unveiled the proposal about six months ago, calling for a high-security prison encircled by crocodile-filled waterways to deter escape attempts by Palestinian detainees.
According to Channel 7, the Israel Prison Service has already begun examining the project’s feasibility, including visits to zoos to study crocodile handling and care requirements.
The broadcaster said officials believe crocodile-filled moats could reduce guarding costs while strengthening prison security. It added that a young crocodile costs around $8,000, while an adult can cost up to $20,000.
There was no immediate comment from the Israel Prison Service on the reported plan or where it could be implemented.
Around 9,500 Palestinians are currently held in Israeli prisons, including women and children, under conditions that Palestinian and Israeli rights groups say involve starvation, torture, and medical neglect, leading to the deaths of dozens of detainees.
