DaysofPal – Israel’s Prison Service is reportedly considering the construction of a new high-security prison surrounded by crocodiles, according to Israel’s Channel 13, which cited a security source on Saturday.
The broadcaster said the proposal was put forward by Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir during an evaluation meeting held by the Prison Service. Under the proposal, the prison would be built in the Hamat Gader area in the occupied Syrian Golan Heights.
According to Channel 13, the plan includes importing crocodiles specifically for the facility and placing them within a surrounding fence designed to prevent prisoners from escaping.
While the proposal reportedly drew ridicule from several police officers, the Prison Service has nonetheless begun examining the feasibility of establishing such a prison.
The report comes amid growing concern over conditions inside Israeli prisons. Earlier this month, on December 8, the Israeli news site Walla reported an unprecedented rise in the number of Palestinian prisoner deaths in Israeli custody since Ben Gvir assumed the post of national security minister in 2022.
Ben Gvir has repeatedly boasted about the harsher measures introduced by the Prison Service since he took office, including the tightening of detention conditions for Palestinian prisoners.
These policies have coincided with an increase in reported abuses and the stripping of basic rights, according to Palestinian human rights organizations.
Among the restrictive measures cited are the banning of family visits, reductions in food rations, and limits on opportunities for prisoners to shower and maintain basic hygiene.
Ben Gvir and his party, Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power), also support proposed legislation allowing for the execution of Palestinian prisoners. The Israeli Knesset passed the bill in a first reading in November.
The proposed law stipulates that anyone who intentionally or through indifference causes the death of an Israeli citizen, when the act is carried out with racist motives or hatred and with the intent to harm Israel, would face the death penalty. It further states that sentences issued under the law could not be reduced once finalized.
Shortlink for this post: https://daysofpalestine.ps/?p=70564
