Israel’s far-right minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, is making plans for a new prison in Israel, surrounded by crocodiles.
The idea is to construct another prison in in the Hamat Gader area of northern Israel where inmates will be surrounded by crocodile, much like Donald Trump’s Alligator Alcatraz in Florida. The idea is that prisoners will be intimidated by the ferocious creatures and will be deterred from trying to escape.
Meanwhile, Ben-Gvir is ramping up its policies against Palestinians by intensifying its campaign of punitive and dehumanizing measures against prisoners, particularly relating to its harsh treatment of Palestinian detainees. The planned new prison will incarcerate “terrorist” prisoners and not only will the crocodiles deter escape, it will also save millions of shekels annually in personnel costs.
The Jerusalem Post reports that a delegation from the Israeli Prison Service, led by the deputy commissioner, spent time on Thursday on a field visit to the crocodile farm in the Hamat Gader area.
*🇮🇱🐊Israeli Prisons Explore Alligator Moats for Enhanced Security*
IPS officers recently toured Hamat Gader crocodile farm to study crocodile behavior as part of a bold plan to surround high-security prisons with alligator moats that could prevent escapes.
* not April 1 yet pic.twitter.com/WSPJKlp1F6
— Haim Ahmed Emmet (@HaEmmet) January 1, 2026
According to officials, the visit was educational, rather than recreational and was aimed at understanding how crocodiles are handled, in preparation for the proposed new prison project. The parties were briefed on crocodile behavior, associated risks and the cost of encircling the facility with around 60 crocodiles.
Ben-Gvir’s vision is that the prison will be deliberately surrounded by crocodiles, in a way similar to Alligator Alcatraz while further enhancing the Israeli prison system by adding more psychological and physical coercion against Palestinian prisoners.
According to the report, the reptile surrounded prison was inspired by US President Donald Trump’s model of a prison nestling within Florida’s Everglades, where alligators are a natural deterrent to any escape. Dubbed Alligator Alcatraz, the surrounding vicious reptiles are a natural deterrent to escape, making conventional perimeter walls unnecessary.
Reportedly, the new prison proposal was raised in an earlier meeting between Ben-Gvir and Israeli Prison Service Commissioner Kobi Yaakobi, after claims of increased escape attempts by prisoners. The recent crocodile farm visit was described as an initial step in assessing the feasibility of using the reptiles as part of prison security
As noted by the Palestine Chronicle, the new plan comes during a period of escalation of measures targeting Palestinian prisoners. Recently, the Knesset approved during a first reading, draft legislation to allow the execution of Palestinian prisoners. The bill was submitted by Otzma Yehudit lawmaker Limor Har-Melech, attracting 36 positive votes and 15 against. Moreover, the bill was referred to a parliamentary committee before its second and third readings.
Meanwhile, Ben-Gvir appeared in the session wearing a lapel pin shaped like a noose, as confirmation of his support for capital punishment against Palestine, saying:
We want either the noose, the guillotine, or the electric chair… death penalty for terrorists.
The new project to encircle prisoners with crocodiles, plus renewed efforts to introduce capital punishment, points to a shift toward spectacle-based punishment and systematic dehumanization. Moreover, the new bill, plus the crocodile surrounded prison goes to deepen abuses against Palestinian detainees, while further erasing any remaining compliance with international, legal and humanitarian standards.
