Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has publicly advocated for killing “30 to 40” people in Gaza every night through targeted assassinations, claiming they are “not even people” and “not worthy of life”.
Speaking on a podcast with former hostage Rom Braslavski, Ben-Gvir criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent drawdown of strikes, which reportedly served as a concession to U.S. President Donald Trump. Ben-Gvir, who oversees police and prisons but lacks military authority, also proposed mass Palestinian expulsion and Israeli resettlement of the enclave -actions international lawyers warned could constitute ethnic cleansing.
Israeli minister calls for hanging Palestinian prisoners 'one by one'
The remarks follow a 2025 court ruling that Ben-Gvir’s prison service deprived detainees of subsistence diets. These extremist views are surging ahead of the Oct. 27 elections, even as Netanyahu insists forces will not retreat until Hamas is disarmed, leaving reconstruction on hold. While such statements have been submitted to the U.N. court as evidence of genocidal intent, Israel denies committing genocide.