Excavation work began today (Wednesday) on Israel’s first “crocodile moat” at Ketziot Prison, part of a pilot project championed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir. Crews are digging a roughly 180-meter trench around the security wing housing terrorists, including members of the Nukhba force from Hamas’s October 7 attack. The move is designed to boost security and deterrence at the facility.
The unusual project got the green light last week after Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman declared the Nile crocodile a “protected wild animal”—a designation that cleared the legal path for the National Security Ministry to move forward. The classification allows a security agency to keep crocodiles for operational purposes. The ministry has allocated roughly ₪21 million (~$5.8 million) for the project, covering construction of the moats and necessary infrastructure.
Setting up such a system is no simple matter. Israel currently has no “price list” for crocodiles, and trade in them is heavily restricted. In the past, crocodiles were imported from abroad to commercial farms that operated in the Jordan Valley and Arava regions. Ultimately, establishing this kind of setup is an extremely complex project with significant security and safety implications.