The Yerushalayim District Court has temporarily halted the government’s controversial plan to place Nile crocodiles around Ketzi’ot Prison as an added security measure for imprisoned Hamas terrorists, putting the initiative on hold while legal challenges move forward.

In a decision issued Sunday, the Yerushalayim District Court froze the state’s proposal to transfer crocodiles to Ketzi’ot Prison, suspending a plan championed by National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir and Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman.

The ruling came shortly after the animal rights organization Let Animals Live filed an administrative petition together with an emergency request seeking to stop the project. Judge Avraham Rubin ordered that, until further notice, the state may neither relocate the crocodiles nor make preparations for their transfer. The temporary order will remain in place until the court considers whether to issue a longer-term injunction after receiving the state’s response, which is due by Aug. 16.

Ben-Gvir blasted the court’s decision, declaring, “Once again, during wartime, the judicial system sides with the terrorists and blocks important steps for Israeli deterrence. We know the terrorists are trembling at the arrival of the crocodiles, but the court today came to their aid. Cleaning up the corrupt judicial system is the most critical task immediately after the elections, and we will not compromise on this.”

The unusual proposal first became public several weeks ago after construction crews began building a network of water channels at Ketzi’ot Prison intended to house the reptiles. At the time, the National Security Ministry authorized the work, with Ben-Gvir’s office explaining the rationale behind the project by stating, “Those who massacred, raped, murdered, and behaved like an animal should have his own kind watch over him.”

Officials in the region said the channels are being constructed inside the prison complex around one of its maximum-security wings and will extend roughly 170 meters. The project advanced after Silman signed an order designating the Nile crocodile as a “domesticated wild animal,” a classification requested by Ben-Gvir that would allow security agencies, including the Israel Prison Service, to launch the pilot program.

Under the government’s plan, the crocodile-filled waterways would serve as an additional security barrier surrounding prison wings that house security prisoners. Supporters of the proposal argued that the reptiles could provide another layer of protection around the facility while discouraging any attempts to escape.

{Matzav.com}