SAFA – Israeli authorities have begun digging trenches intended to house crocodiles around a high-security wing at Ketziot Prison in the occupied Negev, where Palestinian detainees, including those Israel says are Hamas members, are being held, according to Israeli media reports.

The Israeli newspaper Yedioth Ahronoth reported that excavation work has begun around the prison wing and will extend for approximately 170 meters. A regional council official in Ramat Negev said the trenches are being dug inside the prison compound and are not visible from outside.

"No one knows if there will actually be crocodiles there, but preparations are being made," the unnamed official was quoted as saying.

According to the newspaper, Israel's National Security Ministry has begun establishing the infrastructure needed for the planned crocodile enclosure.

The project follows a decision by Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman to classify the Nile crocodile as a "domesticated wild animal," despite objections from professional officials within her ministry.

The office of National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said Silman's decision "paved the way for the project," adding that "the pilot phase of the crocodile prison has officially begun" in one of Ketziot Prison's high-security wings.

Ben-Gvir's office added, "Anyone who thought this was just a stunt was wrong." It said the Israel Prison Service had prepared plans for the care, supervision, and housing of the crocodiles, while prison staff had received training in handling the animals. The project has reportedly been allocated 21 million shekels (about $6.3 million).

Israel has detained hundreds of Palestinians since October 7, 2023, alleging they are members of Hamas' Nukhba unit. The detainees are expected to stand trial before special courts.

Ben-Gvir has previously released videos from the high-security wing at Ketziot Prison showing harsh detention conditions, including restrictions on movement, limited access to blankets and food, and detainees sleeping on metal beds.

The footage also showed the repeated broadcasting of the Israeli national anthem through loudspeakers and images of destruction in Gaza displayed on prison walls.

The crocodile project has sparked legal and environmental concerns in Israel, with experts and officials questioning the legal and professional basis for using crocodiles as a prison security measure.

According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the Nature and Parks Authority convened an emergency meeting to discuss the proposal, with participants expressing opposition. The newspaper reported that Silman's decision contradicted both the legal opinion of her ministry's adviser and the professional position of the Nature and Parks Authority.

The authority said Nile crocodiles may legally be kept only for educational, research, or public awareness purposes. It added that reclassifying the animals as domesticated wild animals was intended to create a legal basis for the prison project.

The newspaper also reported that Israel previously allowed commercial crocodile breeding for the leather industry, but the policy was later abandoned following repeated incidents, including crocodile escapes and concerns that the animals could enter the wild and endanger the public.

Israel currently has only a limited population of Nile crocodiles. The Krokoloko farm in the Negev houses more than 200 crocodiles, but Yedioth Ahronoth reported that authorities have not contacted the farm to supply animals for the project.

Ketziot Prison, located in the Negev Desert, is Israel's largest prison and includes facilities designated for Palestinian security detainees. It has long been used to imprison Palestinians from the Gaza Strip and the occupied West Bank.

According to Palestinian prisoners' rights organizations, the number of Palestinians held in Israeli prisons has increased by 83% since the start of the Israeli genocide in Gaza in October 2023, rising to more than 9,600 detainees from approximately 5,250 before the war.