Israel’s Environmental Protection Ministry has reclassified the Nile crocodile under Israeli regulations in a move that could allow a security body such as the Israel Prison Service to keep the reptiles for security purposes — a step linked by Israeli and international media to National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir’s proposal to deploy crocodiles around prisons holding Palestinian security inmates.
Israel’s Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman reclassified the Nile crocodile from the category of “wild animal” to a form of captive-managed wildlife — described in reporting as a “cultivated,” “captive-bred,” or “tended/managed” wild animal — a change that media reports say was intended to clear regulatory obstacles to proposals for using crocodiles in prison security.
According to multiple reports citing the text of the updated regulation, the rule was signed and took effect on a Wednesday and allows Nile crocodiles to be bred only under restrictive conditions, including that they be held by an approved security body and kept under conditions set by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority’s director to prevent their release into the wild.
Ben-Gvir, who oversees the Israel Prison Service, welcomed the change in a Facebook post published on a Thursday. Reports from several outlets said the post included an AI-generated image depicting Ben-Gvir with a crocodile and framed the plan as a deterrent to escape attempts.
Israeli and international media have reported that the initiative is aimed first at Ketziot Prison in southern Israel, which primarily holds Palestinian security prisoners; some coverage has specifically described Hamas detainees being held there.
The plan has drawn objections inside the environmental and wildlife authorities. The Times of Israel reported that Silman’s move came despite longstanding opposition from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority and that the authority’s plenum was expected to convene to revisit the issue. Reporting also cited a warning from the Environmental Protection Ministry’s legal adviser, attorney Neta Drori, who wrote in a letter last month that there was no known precedent for using crocodiles to protect prisons and raised concerns about legal authority and operational expertise.
Ben-Gvir’s proposal has been described by several outlets as inspired by a U.S. detention concept in Florida dubbed “Alligator Alcatraz.”
Nile crocodiles are among Africa’s largest crocodilians; reference sources including National Geographic say they can reach about 20 feet in length and weigh up to roughly 1,650 pounds, and they have a long-standing reputation for sometimes attacking humans.
