Israel Builds Crocodile Moat at Ketziot Prison for Hamas Detainees

Israeli authorities have reportedly commenced a controversial project to dig a moat designed to contain crocodiles around a high-security wing of a prison in the southern region. The facility is known to hold members of Hamas. According to a report by the daily Yedioth Ahronoth on Wednesday, the trenches are being excavated around Ketziot Prison, stretching approximately 170 metres in length. A local official from the Ramat Negev Regional Council, where the prison is located, stated that the digging is taking place inside the prison grounds around one specific wing, making it invisible from the outside. “No one knows for sure if there will actually be crocodiles there, but preparations are underway,” the unnamed official was quoted as saying by local media. The National Security Ministry confirmed that work on the crocodile channel has begun. The project was able to proceed after Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman decided last week to classify the Nile crocodile as a domesticated wild animal. Silman’s decision was taken despite objections from professional officials within her own ministry. The move is seen as providing the legal basis for utilising the predatory reptiles within correctional facilities. The office of far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir stated that Silman’s decision paved the way for the project, confirming that the pilot phase of the crocodile prison has officially started in one wing of Ketziot Prison. “Anyone who thought this was just a bluff or a publicity stunt is wrong,” Ben-Gvir’s office asserted. The Israel Prison Service has reportedly prepared a comprehensive plan for the care, supervision, and placement of the crocodiles. Prison officers have even received special training on how to handle the animals. The project is currently proceeding under close supervision, fuelling debate over the ethics and effectiveness of using wild animals as part of a prison security system.