Jerusalem (HRNW)- Israel’s right-wing government has begun advancing a controversial plan to construct a crocodile-filled moat around Katziyot Prison in southern Israel to strengthen security and monitor Palestinian detainees.
According to the International News Agency, the proposal was introduced by Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir.
The plan is reportedly inspired by the controversial “Alligator Alcatraz” detention facility in the US state of Florida, which is located in a swampy area surrounded by crocodiles, alligators and other dangerous animals.
To facilitate the proposal, the Israeli government has removed the protected status of the Nile crocodile as a wild animal.
Environmental Affairs Minister Idit Silman amended the legal classification of crocodiles, placing them under a special management category, paving the way for their possible use in security operations.
The Israeli Prison Service has also begun visiting various zoos to gather information about the care and management of crocodiles. However, officials have not announced when or whether the plan will be implemented.
Abdullah al-Zaghari, head of the Palestinian Prisoners Society, said the proposal is not merely a security measure but a new form of intimidation and humiliation directed at Palestinian prisoners.
He said the plan seeks to make detainees feel deprived of the protections guaranteed under international law and human rights principles.
Another official of the organization, Muzaffar Zoqan, described the proposal as a new level of brutality, saying it could further damage the mental health of Palestinian prisoners already facing hunger, violence, isolation, inadequate medical care and other harsh conditions.
Palestinian Prisoners Society spokesperson Amani Sarhaneh said Israeli prisons have long used psychological pressure and mental torture against Palestinian detainees, adding that the crocodile moat proposal represents another step in that pattern.
She said the objective appears to be not only to physically restrain prisoners but also to break them psychologically.
Legal experts and human rights activists have warned that if implemented, the proposal could raise serious concerns under international human rights law and the Geneva Conventions governing the humane treatment of prisoners.
The Israeli government has not yet formally approved the plan or announced a timeline for its implementation. Meanwhile, Palestinian organizations have urged the international community to intervene and safeguard the rights of Palestinian prisoners.
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