Israeli minister Itamar Ben-Gvir calls for killing 30 to 40 Palestinians in Gaza nightly

Aug 13, 2026

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has sparked widespread condemnation after publicly advocating for the nightly targeted killing of 30 to 40 Palestinians in Gaza, declaring that they are "not worthy of life." Speaking on a podcast hosted by former hostage Rom Braslavski, Ben-Gvir also promised to help Braslavski personally execute Palestinian prisoners. While Ben-Gvir lacks direct military authority, his growing influence in Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition highlights a surge in far-right ideology ahead of Israel's October 27 elections. Meanwhile, human rights groups and former officials warn of ongoing state-supported ethnic cleansing in the West Bank.

Ben-Gvir killing advocacy statement

▪Israeli Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly advocated for carrying out targeted assassinations in Gaza to kill 30 to 40 people nightly, regardless of whether they pose an immediate threat.
▪Itamar Ben-Gvir made the remarks during an appearance on a podcast hosted by Rom Braslavski, a former hostage held in Gaza by Hamas.
▪During the podcast, Itamar Ben-Gvir criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent drawdown of military strikes in Gaza and stated that some people there are not worthy of life.
▪Itamar Ben-Gvir advocated for the mass emigration of Palestinians from Gaza and the establishment of Israeli settlements throughout the territory, stating that he sees all of Gaza as belonging to Israel.

Ben-Gvir political influence role

▪Itamar Ben-Gvir does not hold direct authority over the Israeli military to order strikes, but he sits on Israel's security cabinet and oversees the national police force and prison system.
▪Itamar Ben-Gvir has been banned from entering more than 10 countries, including France, Belgium, Spain, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.
▪Israel's Supreme Court ruled in 2025 that the prison service under Itamar Ben-Gvir was depriving incarcerated Palestinians of a minimum subsistence diet.

International genocide case evidence

▪International lawyers have warned that proposals for the mass, forced, or engineered emigration of Palestinians from Gaza could amount to ethnic cleansing.
▪Similar statements by Itamar Ben-Gvir and other Israeli officials have been presented to the United Nations' International Court of Justice as evidence of genocidal intent, which Israel denies.

West Bank settler violence

▪Israeli civilians and soldiers have killed more than 1,100 Palestinians in the occupied West Bank since 2020, resulting in only one indictment over those deaths.
▪The human rights group B'Tselem reported that Israel has forcibly displaced 64 Palestinian communities in the West Bank over the past three years.

Palestinian family siege Qusra

▪Israeli troops forced two Palestinian families to leave their homes in the West Bank village of Qusra, despite a prior commitment by Major General Avi Bluth to evacuate the besieging settlers.
▪Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert described the military and settler siege in Qusra as a concerted and meticulous attempt at ethnic cleansing supported by the Israeli government.

Death penalty execution promises

▪Itamar Ben-Gvir promised former hostage Rom Braslavski that he would do everything he can to allow Braslavski to personally execute Palestinian prisoners under Israel's death penalty law.
▪Itamar Ben-Gvir has championed the death penalty as the default sentence for Palestinians convicted in military courts of deadly attacks on Israelis.