What Happened
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s far-right national security minister, publicly advocated for the killing of “30 to 40” people in Gaza every night during an appearance on the “October 8” podcast hosted by Rom Braslavski. The episode was published over the weekend, with Ben-Gvir’s comments quickly spreading through Israeli, Palestinian and international media.
Ben-Gvir stated while discussing Israel’s reduced military operations in Gaza that he disagreed with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. He argued that targeted assassinations should be carried out on a much larger scale, taking down 30 to 40 individuals nightly, including people who are not considered an immediate threat.
The remarks were reported by the Associated Press and several other international news organisations. Ben-Gvir explicitly said the killings should extend beyond those posing immediate danger, adding that this should include people there who are “not worthy of life” and shouldn’t live.
The Timeline
The pair were discussing Tel Aviv’s recovery from militant group Hamas’ attack of October 7, 2023, when Ben-Gvir criticised Israel’s recent cutback of strikes in Gaza. The comments made by the minister surfaced on Sunday, 16 August 2026.
Israel has continued to strike Gaza nearly every day since a US-backed ceasefire was announced last October. More than 1,250 people have been killed since the truce deal came into effect, according to Gaza’s Health Ministry.
The attack on Israel by Hamas in October 2023 led to the killing of 1,200 people, and another 251 were taken hostage. The attack triggered a violent conflict between Israel and Gaza, Lebanon-based Hezbollah, and Yemen’s Houthi rebels.
Who Said What
Ben-Gvir is Israel’s national security minister and one of the most influential far-right figures in Netanyahu’s coalition government. He does not have direct operational authority over the Israel Defense Forces and cannot personally order air strikes or targeted assassinations in Gaza.
However, dismissing his comments as the words of a powerless outsider would be misleading. Ben-Gvir sits on Israel’s security cabinet, the senior ministerial body that helps shape decisions involving war, national security and military policy. His ministry also has authority over Israel’s police and prison systems.
That means his statements come from a serving cabinet minister with access to the highest levels of government—not merely a fringe commentator speaking from outside the political system. Calling for a predetermined number of people to be killed every night raises serious questions about whether targets would be selected according to verified military necessity or whether the number itself would become the objective.
Ben-Gvir has frequently threatened Netanyahu’s coalition when government policy has not gone far enough for his political faction. If a Palestinian cabinet minister publicly called for killing 30 to 40 Israelis every night—including people posing no immediate threat—the statement would rightly generate widespread outrage and demands for accountability. The same principle must apply when such words come from an Israeli minister.
The Numbers That Matter
Israel’s far-right national security minister Itamar Ben-Gvir has publicly advocated killing “30 to 40” people in Gaza every night, including people who are not considered an immediate threat. The remarks were made during an appearance on the “October 8” podcast hosted by Rom Braslavski, a former Israeli captive held in Gaza.
Israel maintains that its military campaign is directed against Hamas and that it acts in response to the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, which killed approximately 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in more than 250 hostages being taken. Itamar Ben-Gvir called for killing 30-40 people in Gaza every night as Israel rejected Trump’s 15-point proposal for the territory.
A lawmaker in Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s cabinet has publicly advocated for killing “30 to 40” people in Gaza every night as Tel Aviv rejected US President Donald Trump’s 15-point plan for Gaza, stating earlier that the Israeli military will not leave the territory until Hamas is “genuinely” disarmed.
Why This Matters
The most concerning part of his statement was not only the proposed number of people to be killed. Ben-Gvir explicitly said the killings should extend beyond people posing an immediate danger. His declaration that some people in Gaza were “not worthy of life” and “not even people” has also attracted condemnation because it dehumanises an entire population while promoting lethal military action.
Some Israeli reporting framed his comments as referring to Hamas members and other enemies of Israel. However, Ben-Gvir’s own words went beyond individuals considered an immediate threat, leaving the proposed targets broadly and dangerously defined. The statement is especially alarming because Ben-Gvir said Israel should not restrict the killings to people posing an immediate threat.
Ben-Gvir has repeatedly advocated renewed Israeli settlement in Gaza and supported the large-scale removal or “emigration” of Palestinians from the territory. International legal experts have warned that forcibly transferring a civilian population would amount to ethnic cleansing and could constitute a serious violation of international law.
Ben-Gvir has also promoted harsher conditions for Palestinian prisoners and supported legislation imposing the death penalty for Palestinians convicted of terrorism. His political history includes a conviction for inciting racism and supporting a group Israel later designated as a terrorist organisation. Despite that background, he has risen to one of the country’s most powerful security positions.
And such comments have even been presented as evidence in the International Court of Justice as evidence of genocidal intent. Local media also has made scarce mention of the statement, highlighting extremist political ideologists such as Ben-Gvir as surging election leaders.