Ben-Gvir calls for nightly killings in Gaza in podcast remarks

Israel's national security minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, has been reported saying that Israeli forces should kill 30 to 40 people in Gaza every night. The comments surfaced in a podcast episode that was shared widely on Sunday and have drawn attention because they were made by a senior member of Israel's security cabinet. Ben-Gvir also said some people in Gaza were "not worthy of life".

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According to the supporting material, Ben-Gvir made the remarks to Rom Braslavski, a former Israeli captive held in Gaza during the war that followed the Hamas-led attacks in October 2023. In the exchange, he argued for targeted killings beyond people considered to pose an immediate danger at a particular moment. He also said he disagreed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to scale back military strikes in Gaza under the current ceasefire.

The minister has no formal authority to order military strikes, but he sits on the security cabinet that helps shape war and security policy. He also controls Israel's police and prison services, giving him influence over domestic security matters. The remarks were described in the source material as part of a long record of extreme statements from Ben-Gvir, who has gained influence as Israel heads towards elections on October 27.

The comments matter because they come amid an ongoing war in Gaza and at a time when public rhetoric from senior officials can affect both policy debate and international scrutiny. Calls for expanded targeted killings and for Palestinians to leave Gaza permanently raise questions about the direction of Israeli policy, especially when made by a cabinet minister with a role in security decision-making. The remarks also come against the backdrop of a recently enacted death penalty law for Palestinians convicted in military courts of deadly attacks on Israelis, which Ben-Gvir discussed in the same exchange.

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The supporting material says Ben-Gvir told Braslavski he would try to allow him to personally take part if prisoners are executed under that law. Braslavski was quoted saying he wanted to execute "every terrorist" himself, and Ben-Gvir replied that he would do everything he could to make that happen. The exchange adds to the political significance of the episode because it links the minister's rhetoric to wider debates over punishment, detention and the conduct of the war.

What remains unclear from the available material is whether the remarks will lead to any formal response inside the Israeli government or from military officials. It is also not clear whether the podcast comments will affect policy, though they have already been widely circulated. The next developments to watch are any reaction from Netanyahu's coalition, further public comment from Ben-Gvir, and whether the episode intensifies scrutiny of Israel's conduct in Gaza.

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