Former Israeli defense minister Moshe Yaalon has stirred controversy with claims about the Israeli army’s actions in Gaza. Speaking on Saturday in an interview with DemocratTV, Yaalon accused the military of pursuing “ethnic cleansing” in the region, prompting widespread criticism in Israel.
He stated, “The road we are being led down is conquest, annexation, and ethnic cleansing.” When asked to clarify, Yaalon added, “What is happening there? Beit Lahia and Beit Hanoun no longer exist, the army is now active in Jabalia, and the land is being cleared of Arabs.”
The areas mentioned, located in northern Gaza, have been heavily targeted by Israel since October 6. The offensive aims to stop Hamas, the Palestinian militant group, from regrouping.
Moshe Yaalon, 74, led Israel’s military from 2002 to 2005, right before the country’s unilateral withdrawal from Gaza. He later served as defense minister and deputy prime minister but resigned in 2016 due to disagreements with current Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
His remarks sparked immediate backlash. Far-right National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir called it “shameful” that Yaalon had ever served as Israel’s army chief and defense minister. Netanyahu’s Likud party, where Yaalon was once a member, criticized his comments as “empty and dishonest,” calling them a “gift” to the International Criminal Court (ICC) and Israel’s adversaries.
This reference to the ICC comes as it investigates alleged crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza, including issuing arrest warrants for Netanyahu and former defense minister Yoav Gallant.
The conflict in Gaza escalated after Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel, which left 1,207 people dead, most of whom were civilians, according to Israeli official figures. In response, Israel launched a military campaign that has killed 44,382 people in Gaza, according to health ministry figures in the Hamas-run territory, which the UN considers credible.
Earlier this month, a UN special committee expressed concern over “mass civilian casualties and life-threatening conditions intentionally imposed on Palestinians.” The committee stated that Israel’s actions in Gaza displayed “characteristics of genocide,” marking the first time the UN used the term in the context of this conflict.
Israel has rejected the UN’s findings, dismissing them as “anti-Israel fabrications.”
