Israel's far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has sparked shock with remarks urging Israeli forces to "kill 30 or 40 people" in Gaza every night, going beyond those deemed "dangerous... at that specific moment."
The comments were made during a podcast with Rom Braslavski, a former Israeli hostage held in Gaza during the war Israel launched following the Hamas-led attacks in October 2023. The audio surfaced on Sunday and was widely shared by Palestinian media.
"There are people there who do not deserve to live. They should not live. They are not even human," Ben-Gvir added, calling for targeted assassinations of Palestinians in Gaza.
This is the latest in a series of extreme statements by Ben-Gvir, who sits in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition government and controls Israel's police and prison system. Although he does not directly command the military, he is a member of the security cabinet, the top body shaping war and security policy.
During the conversation, Ben-Gvir expressed disagreement with Netanyahu's decision to reduce the intensity of airstrikes under the current ceasefire, while calling for a resumption of targeted assassinations, expanding them to include those not considered direct threats. The minister also repeated his view that "all of Gaza is ours," urging encouragement for Palestinians to leave permanently and for the establishment of Israeli settlements there.
Notably, Ben-Gvir promised to facilitate Braslavski's direct participation in executions if prisoners were sentenced to death under a new death penalty law for Palestinians convicted of deadly attacks. Braslavski responded: "I don't need a rope, I need a button on a gun. With my own hands, I will execute every terrorist in the state of Israel." Ben-Gvir vowed to "turn the world upside down" to make this happen.
International lawyers warn that such forced or encouraged mass migration could constitute ethnic cleansing. According to the Gaza Health Ministry, more than 1,250 people have been killed in Israeli airstrikes since the ceasefire began in October. Ben-Gvir, who has been sanctioned by the UK and some EU countries, is gaining influence as Israel heads toward elections on October 27, though international sanctions have yet to significantly affect his actions.
