Israeli minister calls for killing 30-40 people every night in Gaza

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has called for the killing of 30 to 40 people every night in Gaza, the Financial Times reported.

Ben-Gvir made the comments on a podcast hosted by Rom Braslavsky, who was held hostage by Hamas on October 7, 2023, and later released. He was speaking out against Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's recent scaling back of military operations in Gaza.

"I think we should be carrying out 30 to 40 targeted assassinations every night. Not just those who pose an immediate threat. There are people who are unfit to live there... They are not even human," Ben-Gvir said.

He called for the resumption of Jewish settlements in the Palestinian territories, saying he meant "all of Gaza" would belong to Israel. He also reiterated his views on the "displacement" of Palestinians.

"I envision settlements being built and emigration being encouraged, not just in Gush Katif, but throughout Gaza, the more the better. And there should be no emigration for terrorists. We should just kill them one by one," he said.

According to Israeli officials, the Hamas attack on October 7 killed 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages and took them to Gaza. Israel's retaliatory attacks have killed more than 73,000 people in Gaza, creating a humanitarian disaster in the enclave. Since the ceasefire came into effect in October 2025, 1,200 people have died.

For information, a military tribunal will be established in Israel to try those involved in the attacks on October 7, 2023. In March, the Knesset passed a law allowing the death penalty for terrorists if the attack is carried out with the aim of "denying the existence of the State of Israel." Critics of the law say this effectively means the death penalty will only be applied to Palestinians. The death penalty has only been officially used twice in Israeli history: in 1948 against Captain Meir Tuviansky (who was later acquitted) and in 1962 against Nazi Adolf Eichmann.