Israel has reportedly reclassified Nile crocodiles as "protected" animals, potentially paving the way for their use as part of prison security.

The controversial proposal to surround prisons with moats filled with crocodiles was reportedly proposed late last year by the far-right National Security Minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, who argued that the reptiles would strengthen security and deter escape attempts. The plan was initially deemed legally unfeasible by the Israel Nature and Parks Authority because Nile crocodiles are classified as wild animals that can only be kept in zoos and wildlife reserves.

That legal hurdle was reportedly lifted this week when Environmental Protection Minister Idit Silman reclassified the Nile crocodile as a “protected wild animal,” Israeli media reported Friday. The new classification allows the reptiles to be kept in a wider range of settings, potentially including prisons.

The new designation reportedly comes despite warnings from the ministry’s legal advisor, who told Silman that she had no authority to unilaterally decide on the status of crocodiles and lay the groundwork for their confinement. Several weeks ago, Ben-Gvir and Silman reportedly held a meeting with the legal advisor and head of the Nature and Parks Authority, Raya Soraki, urging them to accept the dubious plan.

According to Israeli media reports, Ben-Gvir wants to first introduce the reptiles to Ketziot prison, a detention center in southern Israel that holds mostly Palestinian prisoners. After he first submitted the proposal, the Israel Prison Service (IPS) reviewed it and sent officers to the Hamat Gader crocodile farm in early January to get acquainted with the reptiles.

According to reports, IPS received the minister’s proposal favorably, considering the choice of smaller specimens that would cost about $8,000 per head, instead of the older reptiles that cost about $20,000. “This is a relatively small amount compared to the investment in security that a prison requires, and the results would be even better,” an IPS source told the Maariv newspaper at the time, adding that the “also dangerous” small reptiles would eventually be bred inside the prison compound.