Far-right Israeli minister calls for nightly killings of Gazans

Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called for the killing of dozens of people in Gaza every night and urged the re-establishment of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territory.

Ben-Gvir made the remarks in an interview on a podcast hosted by Rom Braslavski, an Israeli who was taken hostage by Hamas during its October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, according to Financial Times.

The minister said he opposed Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s recent decision to scale back Israeli military operations in Gaza, amid efforts by the United States to advance a peace plan proposed by President Donald Trump.

“I think we should be doing 30 to 40 targeted assassinations per night,” Ben-Gvir said, adding that the targets should not be limited to people considered an immediate threat. He also made derogatory comments about Palestinians in Gaza.

Ben-Gvir, a prominent settler and long-time advocate of a harder line toward Palestinians, also called for Jewish settlements to be rebuilt across Gaza. Israel dismantled its settlements in the territory in 2005.

“I imagine settlements not just in Gush Katif but throughout Gaza, and encouraging emigration, the more the better,” he said, referring to the former Israeli settlement bloc in Gaza. He added that those he described as terrorists should be killed rather than allowed to leave.

Ben-Gvir has previously faced legal proceedings over his far-right political activities, including a conviction for incitement to racism.

Israeli settlements have been established in territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including the West Bank and Golan Heights. The United Nations considers the settlements illegal under international law and views them as a major obstacle to the creation of an independent Palestinian state.

Israel disputes that position and maintains claims based on its interpretation of historical and security considerations.

By Sabina Mammadli