Israel’s Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman signed a decree on 15 July reclassifying the Nile crocodile from a strictly protected wild animal to “captive-bred wildlife,” a move that permits the reptiles to be held by security agencies for purposes including the prevention of prison escapes. The decision, which transfers oversight from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority to bodies such as the Israel Prison Service, was immediately welcomed by far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who has since December advocated surrounding a detention facility for Palestinian prisoners with crocodiles.

The reclassification follows months of pressure from Ben Gvir, who has cited the short-lived “Alligator Alcatraz” immigration detention centre opened by the Trump administration in Florida in 2025 as a model. In a social media post on 16 July, Ben Gvir wrote, “Are you thinking of attempting to escape? Think again,” alongside an AI-generated image of himself holding a crocodile on a leash. Israeli media report that he intends to deploy the animals around Ketziot prison in the Negev desert, where many Hamas militants captured after the 7 October 2023 attack are held.

The Israel Nature and Parks Authority, along with environmental organisations, has consistently opposed the plan, arguing that existing law permits holding wild animals only for educational, scientific or research purposes. The authority’s legal adviser, Neta Drori, stated that the proposal lacked a sufficient legal and professional basis, and rejected the prison service’s argument that its experience with attack dogs qualified it to manage dangerous reptiles. Environmental groups have also questioned the plan’s practicality, noting that crocodile metabolism slows sharply in winter, rendering them largely immobile.

Viewed from within Israel, the regulatory change has deepened a debate over the treatment of Palestinian detainees. Human rights organisations have documented what they describe as a sharp deterioration in prison conditions since the Gaza war began, including allegations of systematic abuse and starvation. Some Israeli commentators have characterised the crocodile initiative as a further escalation of punitive measures against Palestinian prisoners, while Ben Gvir’s allies frame it as a legitimate security innovation.

The dossier now moves to the plenum of the Nature and Parks Authority, which is expected to convene in the coming days to examine the reclassification. Although the minister’s decree overrides the authority’s prior objections, the body retains the power to set conditions for the animals’ holding, and legal challenges remain possible. No timeline has been announced for the actual deployment of crocodiles at any prison facility.