The Jerusalem District Court on Sunday temporarily blocked the state’s plan to transfer Nile crocodiles to Ketziot Prison as an additional security measure around wings holding Hamas terrorists.

The interim order was issued hours after the animal welfare organization Let Animals Live filed an administrative petition and an urgent request to halt the project. Judge Avraham Rubin ruled that the state may not locate the crocodiles or prepare them for transfer until further notice.

The order will remain in effect while the court considers a request for a longer-term injunction. The state was instructed to submit its response by August 16.

National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir sharply criticized the ruling, stating: “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 proposal was unveiled several weeks ago, when construction began on water channels inside the Ketziot Prison compound. Ben-Gvir’s office said at the time: “Those who massacred, raped, murdered, and behaved like an animal should have his own kind watch over him.”

Regional officials said the channels are being constructed around one of the prison’s high-security wings and will extend approximately 170 meters. The project advanced after Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman signed a declaration classifying the Nile crocodile as a “domesticated wild animal,” allowing security agencies, including the Israel Prison Service, to pursue a pilot program.

Prison authorities planned to use the crocodile-filled channels as an additional layer of security intended to strengthen perimeter protection and deter escape attempts.

(YWN World Headquarters – NYC)