Far-right Ben-Gvir urges Israel to kill ‘30 to 40 every night’ in Gaza
Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged Israel to kill 30 to 40 people in Gaza each night, according to a podcast recording aired on Sunday.
Source: South China Morning Post · August 17, 2026 at 4:31 AM · AI-assisted report
Single-source
KUALA LUMPUR, 17 AUGUST 2026 —
Israeli national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir urged Israel to kill 30 to 40 people in Gaza each night, according to a podcast recording aired on Sunday.
Market Impact
Ben-Gvir made the remarks while speaking to Rom Braslavski, a former Gaza-held hostage, on Braslavski’s podcast. He criticised Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s decision to reduce targeted strikes in Gaza following the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack.
“I think targeted assassinations should be carried out in Gaza, taking down 30 to 40 every night,” Ben-Gvir said. “Not just those who pose an immediate threat – there are people there who are not worthy of life. They shouldn’t live. They’re not even people.”
Ben-Gvir’s previous statements have drawn international condemnation and been presented as evidence of genocidal intent at the UN’s World Court. Israel denies allegations of genocide in Gaza.
While Ben-Gvir lacks authority over military operations, he controls key security arms including the national police and prison service, where thousands of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank are held. He has previously restricted food rations for Palestinian prisoners, a policy that Israel’s top court ruled last year violated minimum subsistence standards.
Israel’s military had conducted near-daily strikes in Gaza until recently, when it scaled back attacks following a truce deal. Gaza’s Health Ministry reports over 1,250 people have been killed in Israeli strikes since the truce came into effect. The military says it targets Hamas militants, but right-wing lawmakers including Ben-Gvir have criticised the reduction in strikes.
In the same interview, Ben-Gvir advocated for mass Palestinian emigration from Gaza and resettlement by Israel, a proposal international lawyers say could constitute ethnic cleansing. He claimed Israel should reclaim all of Gaza, rebuild Jewish settlements dismantled in 2005, and force Palestinians out.
“Settlements not just in Gush Katif but throughout Gaza, encouraging as much emigration as possible, sending them to their countries, and for the terrorists, no emigration, nothing, just to kill them one by one,” he said.
The comments come ahead of Israel’s October 27 elections, where far-right figures like Ben-Gvir have gained prominence following Hamas’ October 7 attack, which killed about 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Many former hostages have described severe abuse during captivity.
Netanyahu’s government continues to reject ceasefire proposals that include Hamas disarmament or Palestinian statehood. Trump’s latest proposal, which Hamas has accepted with conditions, remains stalled as Israel insists on total Hamas disarmament before any withdrawal from Gaza.