Tel Aviv: Israeli authorities have started digging trenches at Ketziot Prison in the Negev Desert as part of a controversial project to construct crocodile-filled canals around a high-security wing holding Palestinian security detainees, Israeli media reported on Wednesday, July 22.
The trenches will run for about 170 metres around the prison wing and are being built entirely within the prison compound, making them invisible from outside, according to Yedioth Ahronoth.
A local official from the Ramat Negev Regional Council said the work remains at an early stage and that it has not yet been decided whether crocodiles will ultimately be introduced.
Israel’s National Security Ministry confirmed that construction of the canals has begun, while the office of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said the pilot phase was under way in one wing of the prison.
Yedioth Ahronoth reported that the Israeli Prison Service has developed plans for the animals’ care and supervision, trained prison officers to manage them and earmarked 21 million shekels (about $6.3 million) for the project’s infrastructure.
Reclassification enables project
The initiative follows Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman’s decision on July 19 to reclassify Nile crocodiles as “captive-bred wildlife”, shifting regulatory oversight from the Israel Nature and Parks Authority to designated security bodies, including the Israel Prison Service. The decision allows prison authorities to advance the pilot project.
Ben-Gvir, who reportedly proposed the idea in December, has said crocodile-filled canals would enhance prison security and help prevent escape attempts. Ahead of the reclassification, he shared an AI-generated image on social media depicting himself with a crocodile on a leash while promoting the proposal.
Israel has detained hundreds of Palestinians since October 2023 over alleged links to Hamas, including its Nukhba unit. Human rights organisations have raised concerns over conditions in Israeli detention facilities, citing allegations of physical abuse, denial of medical care, prolonged solitary confinement and other punitive measures.
