Israel Plans to Introduce Crocodiles into Prison; Court Halts Move Over Animal Welfare, Sparking Human Rights Controversy

(Taiwan Central News reporter Shi Wanqing, Cairo, 3rd exclusive) An Israeli far-right official has proposed introducing crocodiles into prisons holding Palestinian detainees, but the plan was temporarily blocked by an Israeli court on grounds of animal welfare, not human rights considerations. Human rights groups have accused the move of being a 'unprecedented racist paranoia and pathological act of abuse' against Palestinians.

The New Arab reported on the 3rd that Itamar Ben Gvir, Israel's far-right National Security Minister, recently devised a plan to introduce crocodiles into prison security zones to further tighten conditions for Palestinian prisoners. However, the Jerusalem District Court issued a temporary injunction prohibiting the transfer of crocodiles into the prison, citing potential harm to the animals.

The report states that preparations for Ben Gvir's plan have already begun, with workers constructing a moat to house crocodiles at Ketziot Prison in southern Israel. Located in the Negev Desert, this prison has long been used to detain Palestinians and is central to Ben Gvir's prison policy.

In response to Ben Gvir's cruel plan, Israel's Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman stated she intends to sign a ministerial order reclassifying crocodiles as 'captive wild animals' to facilitate their transfer to the moat facility.

Israeli environmental organizations immediately opposed the plan. The animal rights group 'Let the Animals Live' filed a petition demanding attention to crocodile welfare. Legal advisors from the Environmental Protection Ministry and officials from the Nature and Parks Authority also argued that reclassifying crocodiles lacks scientific basis and warned that transferring them to the prison poses risks to both animals and prison staff.

Since Ben Gvir took office, he has implemented a series of measures aimed at increasing deterrence against Palestinian prisoners, including restricting family visits, reducing prisoner amenities, and tightening prison management. The proposed transfer of crocodiles into the prison is intended to further worsen the conditions for Palestinian detainees.

The report notes that human rights organizations have described this 'crocodile proposal' as a dangerous escalation in Israel's treatment of Palestinian prisoners.

Sarah Sanbar, acting researcher at Human Rights Watch, told The New Arab that Israel has long engaged in torture and abuse of detained Palestinians without accountability. She stated that cruelty within Israel's detention system has become normalized.

Helmy Al-Araj, director of the human rights group Hurriyat Center, also told The New Arab that Ben Gvir's crocodile plan reflects a broader pattern of abuse and torture against Palestinian detainees, describing it as 'an unprecedented act of racist paranoia and pathological abuse.'

Human Rights Watch, the United Nations, and other human rights organizations have long documented torture and abuse of Palestinians within Israel's prison system, including severe beatings, sexual assault, starvation, and deliberate medical neglect.

According to the report citing Human Rights Watch statistics, since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7, 2023, Israeli forces have arrested over 24,600 Palestinians in the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, with thousands more detained in Gaza, and nearly 100 Palestinians have died in Israeli prisons. (Editor: Chen Cheng-gong) 1150803