Israeli Security Minister Ben-Gvir Calls for Killing "30 to 40" People a Night in Gaza
The Facts
- Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said targeted assassinations should be carried out in Gaza, "taking down 30 to 40 every night."
- Ben-Gvir said the killings should extend beyond those posing an immediate threat, adding that some in Gaza are "not worthy of life" and "not even people."
- He made the remarks on a podcast hosted by Rom Braslavski, an Israeli who was held hostage in Gaza.
- Ben-Gvir said he disagrees with Netanyahu over the recent reduction in Israeli strikes on Gaza.
- In the same interview, Ben-Gvir called for rebuilding Jewish settlements throughout the Gaza Strip.
- Similar statements by Ben-Gvir and other Israeli officials have been presented to the UN's World Court as evidence of genocidal intent.
- Israel denies the accusation of genocide in Gaza.
- Ben-Gvir's political standing has strengthened ahead of Israeli elections set for 27 October.
Context
Who is Itamar Ben-Gvir?
He is Israel's minister of national security and leader of the Otzma Yehudit (Jewish Power) party, a member of Netanyahu's governing coalition Frankfurter Rundsch…,ITV Hub. A lawyer by training, he is described by news outlets as far-right or extremist and has gained popularity in Israel since the October 2023 Hamas attack DIE WELT,ITV Hub.
What else did he propose in the interview?
Ben-Gvir said he envisions settlements "not only in Gush Katif but across all of Gaza" and called for encouraging the emigration of Palestinians from the territory, saying "the more the better" Коммерсант.…,Euronews English. He also said he regards the Gaza Strip as entirely Israeli Московский …,Euronews English.
How was the statement received?
The comments were circulated by Palestinian media and picked up internationally, while Israeli media gave them little attention NDTV,DIE WELT,Euronews English. In Austria, a regional Jewish community president called the remarks a "disgrace" der Standard. The available reporting does not record a response from Netanyahu or his office.
Where Left and Right agree, and where they split
- Where Left and Right agree
- A sitting minister's call for nightly killings beyond immediate threats, of people he says are "not even people," is indefensible on its face — neither read defends it.
- Where Left and Right split
- Whether the story is about a governing coalition drifting toward genocidal intent with no one held to account, or about force forfeiting legitimacy once it abandons a defined war aim.
How left and right read it
When a sitting security minister says people in Gaza are "not even people" and calls for taking down 30 to 40 every night, the danger is not rhetoric but the power behind it. That is why statements like his have already been placed before the World Court as evidence of genocidal intent, and why his strengthening position ahead of the 27 October elections matters. The fringe now governs. What does condemnation mean if no one is ever held to account?
“Mr Ben-Gvir has operated for decades within Israel's far-right fringe, but is now one of the most influential people in the country.” — The Independent
Force earns its legitimacy from discipline: a defined enemy, a lawful target, an achievable end. A nightly quota of 30 to 40, explicitly extended beyond those posing an immediate threat and framed as killing people "not worthy of life," meets none of that test, because the same interview's demand to rebuild settlements throughout Gaza points toward an open-ended commitment rather than a war aim. Say no plainly. American backing should follow a strategy, not a body count.
The receipts — all 89 sources
Wire services (9)
Independent coverage (50)
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