Israel’s far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir said 30 to 40 people in the Gaza Strip should be targeted for assassination every night, according to a report published on August 17, 2026. Speaking at an event for a former hostage released by Hamas, he said some people in Gaza did not deserve to live and should not be regarded as human.

Ben-Gvir said he was not referring only to people considered threats to Israel. He said there were people in Gaza who should not be allowed to live. The minister also said his differences with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on various issues were not secret.

The minister additionally advocated the large-scale displacement of Palestinians from Gaza and called for the entire Gaza Strip to be brought under Israeli control. He said he wanted to see all of Gaza as Israeli and that as many residents as possible should be moved and sent back to their own countries. Referring to those he described as terrorists, Ben-Gvir said they should not be allowed to go anywhere and should be killed one by one.