Former Israeli Defense Minister Accuses of Ethnic Cleansing in Gaza

(CLO) A former Israeli Defense Minister has accused the Israeli government of committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip.

Moshe Yaalon, former army chief of staff and defense minister under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu (2013-2016), told Israeli media that hardline officials in Netanyahu's cabinet are seeking to expel Palestinians from northern Gaza and reestablish Jewish settlements there.

“I am forced to warn about what is happening there and what is being hidden from us,” Mr. Yaalon told Kan public television on December 1. “Ultimately, war crimes are being committed.”

Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon. Photo: Reuters

Prime Minister Netanyahu's Likud party condemned Mr Yaalon, accusing him of spreading "slanderous lies", while Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar, who heads a small right-wing party, said Mr Yaalon's allegations were baseless.

Earlier, the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued arrest warrants for Prime Minister Netanyahu and former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant on charges of war crimes and crimes against humanity during the conflict in Gaza. Both Netanyahu and Gallant have denied the charges.

Mr Yaalon warned that Israel was at a crossroads, with the government seeking “usurpation, annexation and ethnic cleansing”. He also criticised Israel’s actions in Gaza, saying the government was seeking to expel Palestinians from areas, particularly in northern Gaza.

Mr. Yaalon also mentioned that hardline Israeli officials want to re-establish Jewish settlements in northern Gaza, even though Israel withdrew from the territory in 2005.

Housing Minister Yitzhak Goldknopf visited the Gaza border last week and backed plans to reestablish settlements there, calling it a response to the October 7, 2023, attack and the International Criminal Court.

Most countries around the world consider Jewish settlements built on territory occupied after the 1967 war to be illegal, and their expansion is a major obstacle to peace, as they occupy land that Palestinians want for a future state.

Ngoc Anh (according to Reuters)

Source: https://www.congluan.vn/cuu-bo-truong-quoc-phong-israel-cao-buoc-ve-cuoc-thanh-trung-sac-toc-o-gaza-post323813.html