National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir is continuing to advance his plan to use crocodiles around prisons holding security prisoners.

Following Ben Gvir's request, Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman signed a declaration today (Thursday) classifying crocodiles as a "domesticated wild animal." The official designation means that security agencies such as the Israel Prison Service (IPS) will be able to launch a pilot program to keep crocodiles on their premises, while ensuring their welfare and providing appropriate living conditions.

The move comes about six months after Ben Gvir proposed adopting President Donald Trump's model of a prison surrounded by crocodiles and establishing such a system around a security prison housing Nukhba terrorists.

The Israel Prison Service embraced the idea and began extensive planning on the project, including a series of studies and professional visits to zoos. According to the IPS, the findings indicated that constructing a prison surrounded by moats containing crocodiles would significantly reduce ongoing security costs while also creating a strong deterrent against escape attempts by security prisoners.

After Minister Ben Gvir approved moving forward with a practical pilot program-which includes construction planning and the creation of appropriate safety and environmental conditions for keeping the crocodiles-the initiative encountered a legal obstacle. Under existing law, the Nile crocodile is classified as a protected wild animal, a designation that prohibits it from being kept outside licensed zoos.

To overcome the legal hurdle, officials developed a solution based on classifying the crocodile as a "domesticated wild animal," a legal status that permits it to be kept for commercial purposes.

Such a designation existed under Israeli law until 2013 and allowed crocodiles to be bred and killed for commercial use. It has now been adapted to meet Israel's security needs, with the new declaration limiting the designation solely to the keeping of crocodiles and only by authorized security agencies.