- Far-right Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir is proceeding with plans to construct a 170-metre, $6.3 million crocodile-filled moat around Ketziot Prison, which holds Palestinian detainees.
- The initiative, directly inspired by the now-closed US immigration detention facility Alligator Alcatraz, aims to deter prisoners, with Ben-Gvir claiming it will reduce the burden on prison staff and address overcrowding.
- To facilitate the project, Israel’s environmental protection minister, Idit Silman, reclassified the Nile crocodile from a "protected" to a "managed wild animal," allowing government bodies like the Israel Prison Service to keep them under specific security conditions.
- Human rights organisations, including CAGE international and B’Tselem, have vehemently condemned the plan as "vicious" and "nonsensical," drawing parallels to the inhumane conditions reported at Alligator Alcatraz and expressing concerns about further mistreatment of Palestinian prisoners.
- The Israel Nature and Parks Authority and environmental groups also oppose the move, arguing it is unlawful, poses risks to both crocodiles and the public, and that security should be achieved through conventional means rather than animals.
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