Israeli security minister advocates nightly killings of 30 to 40 in Gaza

Israel's Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly advocated for killing "30 to 40" people in Gaza each night, comments that surfaced Sunday and were quickly shared by Palestinian media.

Ben-Gvir made the statement while speaking to Rom Braslavski, a former Gaza-held hostage, on Braslavski's podcast titled "8 de octubre." The two were discussing Israel's recovery from the Hamas attack of October 7, 2023.

"It's no secret, I disagree with the prime minister," Ben-Gvir said, referring to Benjamin Netanyahu. "I think targeted assassinations should be carried out in Gaza, taking down 30 to 40 every night. Not just those who pose an immediate threat—there are people there who are not worthy of life. They shouldn't live. They're not even people."

Ben-Gvir, an extremist lawmaker in Netanyahu's coalition, criticized Israel's recent drawdown of strikes in Gaza. He does not have authority over the Israeli military to order attacks.

In the podcast discussion, Ben-Gvir also described his vision for Gaza, which included Israeli settlements throughout the territory and what he characterized as "encouraging emigration"—a term he used in reference to reducing the Palestinian population. He stated that "all of Gaza belongs to Israel" and expressed a preference for expelling Palestinians from the territory.

Ben-Gvir has previously called for the extermination of the Palestinian population. As minister overseeing police and prisons, he has a history of advocating for violations of the rights of Palestinian citizens of Israel and detainees held in the West Bank and Gaza.