(SeaPRwire) –   By: Julian Holbrooke

An Israeli court has dealt a blow to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s radical proposal to use Nile crocodiles to guard prisons holding predominantly Palestinian detainees. Ben-Gvir had in December proposed surrounding prisons with moats filled with crocodiles, claiming it would enhance security and deter escapes. Initially, the Israel Nature and Parks Authority shot down the idea, stating Nile crocodiles are wild animals meant for zoos and sanctuaries. That obstacle was removed last month when Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman reclassified them as “tended wild animals,” potentially allowing their deployment at prisons. But on Sunday, the Jerusalem District Court issued an injunction against the project following a petition from animal-rights group Let Animals Live. Judge Avraham Rubin ruled the state could not locate or prepare crocodiles for transfer pending further review. Ben-Gvir lashed out, accusing the judiciary of siding with “terrorists” and undermining efforts to strengthen Israeli deterrence.

Nearly 10,000 Palestinian political prisoners are held in Israeli jails, a number that has nearly doubled since the Gaza war began in October 2023. More than a third are administrative detainees, held without criminal charge or trial under indefinitely renewable six-month orders, often based on secret evidence. UNICEF highlights Israel as the only country systematically trying children in military courts—at least 400 Palestinian children are currently imprisoned, with 500 to 700 prosecuted annually, many for alleged stone-throwing. Israeli human rights group B’Tselem reports at least 84 Palestinian detainees have died in custody since the war began, documenting systematic abuse including physical violence, starvation, and denial of medical care. The crocodile project was set to be piloted at Ketziot Prison in southern Israel, where Palestinian security prisoners, including alleged Hamas members, are held. Reports indicate $6.2 million had been allocated for the pilot, with work already underway on a 170-meter water channel around a high-security wing. This standoff isn’t just about reptiles; it’s a microcosm of deeper tensions over detention policies, judicial authority, and the treatment of Palestinian detainees. The court’s injunction may stall Ben-Gvir’s hardline agenda, but the broader issues of human rights and detention practices in the region remain sharply in focus.

Author bio: Julian Holbrooke, overseas international relations analyst with decades of covering Mideast political dynamics for European dailies.