July 17, 2026, 11:58July 17, 2026, 11:58
Israel’s Environment Minister Idit Silman has changed the legal status of Nile crocodiles, reportedly allowing the reptiles to be used in moats around a prison housing Palestinian security detainees.
According to the news portal “ynetnews.com” and the “Jerusalem Post,” Silman declared the Nile crocodile a “farmed wild animal.” This means that security authorities should generally be able to obtain approval for the keeping of animals. Other crocodile species had previously received this classification to allow commercial breeding for their skins.
The crocodiles could also escape
The proposal to use crocodiles goes back to the right-wing extremist Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir in December 2025. Ketziot is a large maximum security prison in the Negev Desert. According to the information, Palestinian security prisoners and Palestinians arrested during the Gaza war are among those imprisoned there.
It is currently unclear whether the project will actually be implemented. The ministry’s legal advisor and the Israel Nature and Parks Authority had reportedly warned the minister against the move. According to the authority, such wild animals may only be kept for educational, research and educational purposes. In the past, breeding crocodiles has led to numerous problems – including incidents of crocodiles escaping into the wild and threats to human life, it said. (sda/dpa)