The Israeli government has stripped Nile crocodiles of their protected status, paving the way for a proposal to build a detention facility for Palestinians surrounded by the reptiles, Israeli media reported on Thursday.
Environment Minister Idit Silman signed a decree on Wednesday reclassifying Nile crocodiles as a "specially managed wild animal" - a new legal category that allows the state to keep the animals for security purposes, according to Israeli news site Ynet.
In the decree, Silman said Israel's security forces could now keep crocodiles under specific conditions.
According to Ynet, the move went against the advice of the Environment Ministry's legal adviser and environmental groups.
The decision follows months of pressure from National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, who in December proposed building a prison encircled by crocodiles.
