ISRAELI MINISTER CALLS FOR KILLING "30 TO 40" PEOPLE NIGHTLY IN GAZA

Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's Minister of National Security, has publicly advocated for killing "30 to 40" people in Gaza each night, according to comments made in a podcast interview with Rom Braslavski, a former hostage held in Gaza. The remarks surfaced on Sunday and were shared widely across media outlets. Ben-Gvir criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to reduce military strikes in Gaza, stating that targeted assassinations should extend beyond those who pose an immediate threat. He said of Palestinians in Gaza: "There are people there who are not worthy of life. They shouldn't live. They're not even people."

Ben-Gvir, who sits in Netanyahu's coalition government, does not hold formal authority over Israel's military and cannot order strikes independently, though he serves on Israel's security cabinet. He holds substantial control over Israel's police force and prison services, where thousands of Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank are detained. Similar statements by Ben-Gvir and other Israeli officials have previously been widely condemned and presented to the UN's International Court of Justice as evidence of genocidal intent. Israel denies committing genocide in Gaza. Ben-Gvir has been banned from entry to more than ten countries, including France, Belgium, Spain, the United Kingdom, Canada and Australia.

The comments emerge as Israel approaches elections scheduled for 27 October. According to local reporting, Ben-Gvir has grown more influential within Israeli politics following the October 2023 Hamas attack, gaining support for his hardline rhetoric calling for increased military action in Gaza. The podcast episode also included discussion of Israel's recently enacted death penalty law for Palestinians convicted in military courts, with Braslavski requesting involvement in any executions.