Overview
- The comments were made on the '8 de octubre' podcast and reported Sunday, August 16, when Itamar Ben Gvir called for killing “30–40 people each night,” described some Palestinians as “not even people,” and advocated mass displacement and new Jewish settlements in Gaza.
- Ben Gvir leads the Ministry of National Security, which oversees police and prisons but does not command the Israel Defense Forces, and he has a record of prior convictions for racist incitement and policies linked to a large rise in weapon licenses since 2022.
- Multiple outlets and legal advocates say the public statements have been used in filings to international bodies, including the International Court of Justice, as evidence cited in allegations of genocidal intent.
- US envoys, led by Jared Kushner, met both Hamas and Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this week and established working groups on Gaza disarmament and civilian needs while Kushner forecast possible disarmament progress within about 30 days.
- Gaza health authorities report roughly 1,260 deaths since the October 2025 ceasefire, and rights groups warn that incendiary rhetoric and settlement plans could undermine the ceasefire, complicate reconstruction and deepen political divisions inside Israel.