Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has sparked widespread controversy after publicly advocating for the targeted killing of "30 to 40" Palestinians in Gaza every night. The far-right minister made these remarks during an appearance on a podcast hosted by Rom Braslavski, a former hostage previously held in Gaza, where the two discussed Israel's recovery from the October 7, 2023, Hamas-led attacks.
During the recorded conversation, Ben-Gvir openly criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's administration for its recent reduction of military strikes in Gaza. Expressing his disagreement with the prime minister, Ben-Gvir asserted that Israel should carry out daily targeted assassinations. He stated that these operations should target dozens of people each night, arguing that "there are people there who are not worthy of life" and calling them "not even people."
The comments, which surfaced on a Sunday, quickly circulated across Palestinian media outlets. While similar statements by Israeli officials have previously been presented to the United Nations' International Court of Justice as evidence of genocidal intent—allegations that Israel denies—the domestic media in Israel barely reported on Ben-Gvir's latest remarks. Analysts note this highlights the growing prominence of once-fringe ideologies in the country as it prepares for national elections on October 27.
Although Ben-Gvir lacks the military authority to order strikes on Gaza—a power recently restricted to the army's chief of staff, much to the anger of right-wing politicians—he remains a highly influential figure in Netanyahu's coalition. As the head of national security, he oversees the national police force and the prison system, which holds thousands of Palestinian detainees from Gaza and the West Bank. Ben-Gvir has previously boasted of cutting food rations for these prisoners, leading to a 2025 ruling by Israel's Supreme Court that the prison service was depriving inmates of a minimum subsistence diet.
Beyond calling for nightly killings, Ben-Gvir used the podcast to champion the total resettlement of Gaza by Israel and the mass emigration of its Palestinian population, a proposal international legal experts warn could constitute ethnic cleansing. "I see all of Gaza as ours," Ben-Gvir declared, calling for Jewish settlements to be established throughout the territory, not just in Gush Katif, the block of 21 settlements Israel dismantled when it withdrew its military forces and settlers 20 years ago. He added that terrorists should be killed "one by one" rather than allowed to emigrate.
These hardline demands contrast with Prime Minister Netanyahu’s official stance, which maintains that Israel will not withdraw from its positions in Gaza until Hamas is fully disarmed. This ongoing deadlock has stalled other components of a potential ceasefire, including the reconstruction of the heavily damaged territory and the deployment of international peacekeeping forces. Amid these political tensions, Ben-Gvir was also seen praying at the Western Wall in Jerusalem's Old City during the Tisha B'Av mourning ritual on Wednesday, July 22, 2026.
