The statements are extremely violent and have provoked international condemnation. Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel's Minister of National Security, called for the killing of dozens of people every night in the Gaza Strip. He did not limit himself to referring to fighters who posed an immediate threat; he also asserted that some people simply "should not be alive ," going so far as to deny them their humanity. These remarks were strongly condemned by France, Germany, and the UN. French Foreign Minister Jean-Noël Barrot described them as "unbearable and inhumane ," while Berlin denounced the calls as "inhumane and contrary to international law . "
"Eliminate 30 or 40 of them": Ben Gvir's chilling appeal
As a reminder, Itamar Ben-Gvir made these remarks during a podcast with Rom Braslavski, a former Israeli hostage held in Gaza. The minister defended the principle of daily lethal operations in the Palestinian enclave. "I think targeted killings should be carried out every night in Gaza. Kill 30 or 40 ," he said. But Ben-Gvir went much further than defending operations against people posing an immediate threat. "Not just those who are endangering you right now. These are people who shouldn't be alive ," the minister continued. Then came a particularly brutal statement: "I pay them a compliment by calling them human beings."
The speech leaves little room for ambiguity: the Israeli minister explicitly mentions a number of people to be killed each night, extends his reasoning beyond individuals representing an immediate threat, and uses dehumanizing rhetoric towards those he targets.
An overt rhetoric of dehumanization
The violence of these statements lies precisely in this generalization. Ben Gvir is not simply calling for more military operations against Hamas or armed groups. By stating that people "should not be alive" and then that he would be "complimenting" them by considering them human beings, the minister takes a further step in an already extremely radical rhetoric. This stance is all the more significant because it comes not from a fringe activist, but from a member of the Israeli government in charge of National Security. However, Ben Gvir does not have authority over the Israeli army and therefore cannot personally order the strikes he is calling for.
The leader also defended the mass emigration of Palestinians from Gaza and asserted Israeli sovereignty over the entire territory. "I consider the entire Gaza Strip to belong to us ," he stated.
Jean-Noël Barrot denounces the remarks as "unbearable and inhumane".
The French reaction was particularly firm. Jean-Noël Barrot directly condemned the Israeli minister's statements. The French Foreign Minister deemed them "unbearable and inhumane ." Paris had already imposed sanctions on Ben Gvir, who has been barred from entering French territory since May 23. Jean-Noël Barrot also denounced the situation in the occupied West Bank and the violence perpetrated by Israeli settlers. "The situation remains catastrophic. What is happening today in the West Bank is utterly disgraceful and should revolt us all ," declared the French Foreign Minister. He added: "This is why we sanctioned Minister Ben Gvir."
Germany condemns "inhumane" calls
The condemnation extends far beyond France. The German government also reacted with great firmness. Chancellor Friedrich Merz condemned Ben Gvir's statements, his government denouncing "in the strongest possible terms the inhumane and unlawful appeals made by Minister Ben Gvir . " Berlin considers them "unacceptable ." This condemnation is particularly clear given the historically very special place that relations between Germany and Israel hold in German diplomacy.
The UN denounces the remarks as "outrageous, dehumanizing and dangerous".
The United Nations also condemned the Israeli minister's remarks. UN Secretary-General António Guterres denounced them "unequivocally ." His spokesperson, Stéphane Dujarric, used particularly strong language: "These remarks are appalling. They are outrageous. They are dehumanizing and dangerous." This condemnation directly targets the core of Ben Gvir's discourse: portraying a category of people as unworthy of life and even going so far as to question their humanity.
Ben Gvir persists in his ultra-radical stance on Gaza
These new statements are consistent with the long-held political line of Itamar Ben-Gvir. The minister advocates an extremely harsh policy toward the Palestinians, calls for a complete Israeli takeover of Gaza, and supports the mass exodus of its Palestinian population. But his call to kill "30 or 40" people every night, without explicitly limiting these deaths to those posing an immediate threat, accompanied by a phrase that denies them virtually all humanity, has provoked outrage that this time transcends the usual disagreements on the conduct of the war. France, Germany, and the UN have thus converged in their condemnation: this speech, delivered by a sitting minister, is deemed inhumane, dehumanizing, and dangerous.
