A former Israeli Minister, Moshe Yaalon, has accused Israel of committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza stream, attracting stern rebuke from government officials. Yaalon, who served as defense minister under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu from 2013-16, has fiercely criticized the prime minister since leaving office.
Meanwhile, Palestinians have long accused Israel of moving to chase them out of swathes of Gaza during the ongoing conflict. Following the surprise attack by Hamas in October 2023 that killed about 1,200 people and abducted over 250 hostages, Israel's military campaign in Gaza has killed over 44,000 people and displaced virtually the entire enclave's population.
Israeli military have reportedly concentrated most of their firepower back on northern Gaza, saying they are targeting regrouping Hamas fighters. The Jews have also informed civilians to leave the area until further notice amid allegations of war crimes and ethnic cleansing from individuals like Yaloon.
The hawkish former general told Israeli media that hardliners in Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's far-right cabinet were looking to chase Palestinians from northern Gaza in the bid to re-establish Jewish settlements there. While speaking with Israel's public broadcaster Kan on Sunday, Yaloon said, "I am compelled to warn about what is happening there and is being concealed from us. At the end of the day, war crimes are being committed."
"The path they're dragging us down is to occupy, annex, and ethnically cleanse – look at the northern strip." He also said Israel was being pulled in the direction of building settlements in Gaza, a notion that enjoys the support of some far-right politicians in Mr. Netanyahu's cabinet.
Clarifying that the Israeli military appears set on the path of ethnic cleansing, Yaloon said, "There's no Beit Lahia. There's no Beit Hanoun. They're now operating in Jabaliya. They're cleaning the territory of Arabs," referring to towns and cities in northern Gaza.
Israeli Government's Response to Moshe Yaloon's Accusations
Foreign Minister and head of a small rightist party Gideon Sa'ar has described Yaloon's accusations as "baseless" while Netanyahu's Likud party has accused him of spreading "slanderous lies." "Everything Israel does is by international law and it is a pity that former minister Ya'alon does not realize the damage that he has done and retract his remarks," Sa'ar told at a conference hosted by Israel Today newspaper.
In a bid to discredit Yaalon's allegations, the Likud party said in a statement, "Yaalon already lost his way a long time ago. His defamatory words are a prize for the International Criminal Court and the haters of Israel camp. Israel is fighting back against a murderous terrorist group that carried out mass slaughter."
Meanwhile, Yoav Gallant, another former Defense Minister has insisted that the Israeli military "acted according to the highest standards that can be applied in the complex and difficult war that was imposed on us," via his X social media handle. Yaloon's allegations are unusual considering that people in many countries – including Israelis and their leaders – typically rally around their military during war situations.
Final Remarks
Former Israeli Defense Minister Yaloon alleges that Israel is committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing in Gaza. The allegations drew swift denials from Israeli government officials, including former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, who maintain that Israel has kept to the "highest standards" of international law in its ongoing conflict with Gaza.