Ben-Gvir calls for killing of ’30 to 40′ Palestinians in Gaza nightly in taped interview with former hostage

Ben-Gvir Advocates Nightly Killing of Dozens in Gaza in Podcast Interview

Poinews.com – Comments made by Israel’s Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir during a recorded conversation with former hostage Rom Braslavski resurfaced on Sunday, sending shockwaves through international media. Speaking on Braslavski’s podcast, the far-right lawmaker — a member of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s governing coalition — openly called for the elimination of “30 to 40” Palestinians every single night in Gaza.

“It’s no secret, I disagree with the prime minister. I think targeted assassinations should be carried out in Gaza, 30 to 40 every night.”

Ben-Gvir went further, distinguishing between those he considered an immediate danger and others he dismissed outright.

“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.”

Political Context and Rising Influence

Local Israeli outlets gave the remarks remarkably little coverage, a silence that underscores how once-marginal hardline positions are now gaining mainstream traction ahead of the national election set for 27 October. Since Hamas’s 7 October assault, figures like Ben-Gvir have climbed in popularity among Israeli voters, buoyed by their uncompromising rhetoric demanding tighter suppression of the militant group and expanded Israeli control over Gaza.

The minister, who holds no authority over the military and cannot order strikes himself, nonetheless wields considerable influence over critical elements of the security apparatus. He oversees the national police force and the prison system, where thousands of Palestinians from Gaza and the occupied West Bank are held. He has previously boasted of reducing food portions for Palestinian detainees. In 2025, Israel’s top court ruled that the prison service under his leadership was failing to provide Palestinians with a minimum subsistence diet.

Ben-Gvir has been barred from entering more than ten countries, including France, Belgium, Spain, the United Kingdom, Canada, and Australia.

Military Drawdown and Truce Tensions

The remarks came amid a noticeable easing of Israeli strikes on Gaza. Until recently, attacks had been launched nearly daily; since an October truce took effect, more than 1,250 people have been killed, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry. The Israeli military, which maintains its strikes target Hamas fighters, appeared to pull back in what looked like a quiet concession to US President Donald Trump after Netanyahu turned down the president’s latest push to advance the truce framework.

Israeli media reported last week that authority to carry out strikes has been narrowed to the army’s chief of staff — a move that inflamed right-wing lawmakers including Ben-Gvir.

Emigration and Resettlement Proposals

In the same recorded appearance, Ben-Gvir pushed for large-scale Palestinian emigration from Gaza and subsequent Israeli resettlement of the territory — a plan international legal scholars have described as potentially constituting ethnic cleansing.

“I see all of Gaza as ours. 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.”

Twenty years ago, Israel dismantled the Gush Katif bloc of 21 Jewish settlements and withdrew its forces from the Gaza Strip entirely.

International Reactions and Genocide Allegations

Statements of this kind by Ben-Gvir and other Israeli officials have drawn widespread condemnation in the past. Numerous such remarks have been submitted to the UN’s world court as evidence of genocidal intent. Israel rejects the charge of genocide in Gaza, where its military offensive has killed more than 100,000 Palestinians over two years, according to medical sources.