Israeli Minister Urges Execution of 40 Palestinians Every Night

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has sparked widespread outrage after calling for the targeted assassination of 30 to 40 Palestinians every night in the Gaza Strip. In a startling escalation of extreme rhetoric, the minister further advocated extending extrajudicial killings beyond those deemed immediate security threats to encompass the broader Palestinian civilian population.

The remarks were made during a podcast appearance alongside Rom Braslavski, a former Israeli hostage, which subsequently circulated widely across Palestinian media outlets and was reported by Qatar-based news agency Al Jazeera. During the broadcast, Ben-Gvir declared that numerous individuals in Gaza were “not worthy of living,” refusing to recognise them as human beings. He explicitly reiterated his stance that Palestinians are “not human” whilst openly endorsing indiscriminate lethal force against them.

Ben-Gvir strongly criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to scale back military operations under the current Gaza ceasefire framework. The minister urged the cabinet to resume targeted assassinations, insisting that military action should not be limited solely to active combatants. Whilst Ben-Gvir lacks direct operational authority over the Israel Defence Forces (IDF), he holds a pivotal seat on the Security Cabinet, a influential council responsible for defining the nation’s war aims and defense policy.

During the interview, the dialogue took an even more controversial turn regarding Palestinian prisoners. In the wake of recently enacted legislation permitting military courts to hand down capital punishment for Palestinians convicted of fatal attacks, Braslavski expressed a desire to execute prisoners personally. Ben-Gvir pledged to do “everything necessary” to afford him that opportunity.

Furthermore, the minister renewed his calls for the permanent displacement of Palestinians from the enclave to enable Jewish resettlement, asserting, “The whole of Gaza belongs to us.” International legal experts have repeatedly warned that any forced transfer or systematic displacement of the Palestinian population amounts to ethnic cleansing under international humanitarian law.

According to figures from the Gaza Ministry of Health, Israeli military actions have resulted in over 1,250 fatalities in the enclave since a ceasefire was officially implemented last October.

Ben-Gvir’s latest assertions align with a long-standing history of ultra-nationalist extremism dating back to his youth in the outlawed Kahanist movement. As minister, he has consistently lobbied for mandatory death penalties for Palestinian security prisoners and deliberately reduced living conditions within Israeli correctional facilities.

Despite sanctions imposed on him by the United Kingdom and several European Union member states, Ben-Gvir’s political trajectory continues to gain traction ahead of Israel’s upcoming general election scheduled for 27 October. His commentary underscores the growing sway of the far-right faction within the governing coalition, signaling a further hardening of policy regarding the future of Gaza.