In a recorded podcast appearance that surfaced on August 16, 2026, Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir publicly advocated for the targeted killings of “30 to 40” people in Gaza every night. Speaking with former Gaza-held hostage Rom Braslavski on Braslavski’s podcast, Ben-Gvir criticized Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government for a recent drawdown in military strikes across the enclave.
Extremist Rhetoric and the Gaza Strip Death Toll
Ben-Gvir argued that Israel’s military operations should not be restricted solely to individuals posing an immediate threat. According to the Associated Press report published by U.S. News & World Report, the minister stated during the podcast, “I think targeted assassinations should be carried out in Gaza, taking down 30 to 40 every night. 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.”
Until recently, Israel’s military had been striking Gaza nearly every day. According to Gaza’s Health Ministry figures cited by Arab News, these attacks have killed more than 1,250 people since an October truce deal came into effect. The Israeli military stated that these strikes targeted Hamas militants, though the pace of operations appeared to ease off in a quiet concession to U.S. President Donald Trump after Prime Minister Netanyahu rejected the president’s latest attempt to move the truce forward.
In the past, similar statements by Ben-Gvir and other Israeli officials were widely condemned. Many have been presented to the UN’s world court as evidence of genocidal intent. Israel denies it has committed genocide in Gaza.
Political Influence Ahead of Israeli Elections
While Ben-Gvir holds the title of Minister of National Security and oversees Israel’s police force and national prison system—where thousands of Palestinians from Gaza and the West Bank are incarcerated—he does not have power over the country’s military and cannot order strikes on Gaza. Yet, despite spending decades on the far-right margins of Israeli politics, he now holds a position of immense sway nationwide.
Domestic media outlets in Israel have provided scarce coverage of Ben-Gvir’s podcast remarks. Analysts note that this highlights how once-fringe ideologies like Ben-Gvir’s are surging in the leadup to Israeli elections on October 27. Support for politicians like Ben-Gvir has surged among the Israeli public following Hamas’s devastating 2023 assault, which resulted in approximately 1,200 deaths and the abduction of 251 hostages.
Hostages have recounted long-term starvation, physical and psychological abuse and, in some cases, sexual abuse. Within his ministerial portfolio, Ben-Gvir has previously boasted of lessening food rations for Palestinian prisoners. A ruling by Israel’s highest court in 2025 concluded that the prison administration under Ben-Gvir was failing to provide Palestinian inmates with even a basic subsistence diet.
Calls for Resettlement and Expulsion
Beyond advocating for nightly targeted killings, Ben-Gvir used the podcast appearance to advocate for mass emigration of Palestinians from Gaza and resettlement of Gaza by Israel. Two decades ago, the Israeli military evacuated the Gaza Strip and dismantled the 21 Jewish settlements that comprised the “Gush Katif” bloc.
“I see all of Gaza as ours,” Ben-Gvir said on the podcast, advocating for “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.” International lawyers say that proposal could amount to ethnic cleansing.
These positions stand in direct contrast to ongoing diplomatic efforts. Under the latest proposal put forward by U.S. President Donald Trump, Hamas would phase out its weaponry while Israeli troops suspend operations and begin pulling out of the territory. The militant faction agreed to the proposal, though it conditioned the handover of its heaviest arms on the establishment of a Palestinian state—a demand fiercely opposed by Israel’s current administration and the broader political establishment.
