Israeli minister calls for killing Palestinians in Gaza, sparking outrage

Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has sparked widespread controversy and near-unanimous condemnation for his recent remarks regarding the conflict in the Gaza Strip. Ben-Gvir has repeatedly called for the Israeli army to actively kill Gazans, stating, "I think targeted eliminations should be carried out in Gaza every night, take out 30, 40. Not only those who endanger you at that particular moment. There are people there who shouldn’t be alive. They shouldn’t live. They are not even human."

He has also voiced his opposition to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's decision to reduce attacks in Gaza, which was reportedly done to advance a peace plan proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Ben-Gvir, born in 1976, is an Israeli lawyer and politician who has led the far-right Jewish Power party since 2019. He currently serves as the National Security Minister, a position he previously held and has now resumed.

From this role, he has pushed for policies to ease restrictions on private gun ownership and advocated for armed neighborhood patrols. International analyst Alide Flores Urich Sass notes that Ben-Gvir represents a shift of positions from the political margins to a more central role in Israeli politics. Ben-Gvir leads Otzma Yehudit, a far-right, ultranationalist party with ideological ties to Kahanism.

Ben-Gvir's political journey began with the Moledet party, which supported the expulsion of Palestinians from Israel, the West Bank, and Gaza. He later became the youth coordinator for the Kach movement, founded by Rabbi Meir Kahane, known for its explicitly anti-Arab ideology. Due to his political stances, Ben-Gvir was exempt from mandatory military service and attended a religious school founded by Kahane. His political trajectory has been marked by nationalist and radical positions that have moved from the fringes to a significant place within Israeli politics.

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I think targeted eliminations should be carried out in Gaza every night, take out 30, 40. Not only those who endanger you at that particular moment. There are people there who shouldn’t be alive. They shouldn’t live. They are not even human.