Israel has reclassified Nile crocodiles as captive-bred wild animals, lifting restrictions that previously confined their use to educational and scientific purposes and opening the door to their deployment around detention facilities.
The reclassification, ordered by Environment Minister Idit Silman, would allow the reptiles to be placed in water-filled moats around prisons holding Palestinian security detainees, according to Israeli media. The prison service is reportedly preparing a pilot project to test the concept at a secured facility. The idea was first proposed in December 2025 by far-right Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, who drew inspiration from a now-closed U.S. migrant detention centre in the Florida Everglades known as "Alligator Alcatraz." The ministry's legal adviser and Israel's Nature and Parks Authority had warned Silman against the move before it was enacted.