[A highly decorated former Israeli defense minister, Moshe Ya’alon, has accused Israel of carrying out ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in northern Gaza. Ya’alon, who served for three decades in the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) and as the military’s chief of staff, made the statement in an interview with Israel’s Democrat TV.
Ya’alon stated, “Conquering, annexing, ethnic cleansing – look at northern Gaza.” When asked if he believed Israel was on the way to committing ethnic cleansing, Ya’alon replied, “Why ‘on the way?’ What’s happening there? There’s no Beit Lahia. There’s no Beit Hanoun. They’re currently operating in Jabalya, and essentially, they’re cleaning the area of Arabs.”
The Israeli military has been conducting an intense operation in northern Gaza for two months, targeting Hamas militants and forcing civilians to evacuate to a humanitarian area in southern Gaza. The World Food Programme has reported that aid deliveries to northern Gaza are extremely limited.
The Israeli military denied the allegations, stating that it operates in accordance with international law and evacuates civilians based on operational necessity, for their own protection.
Ya’alon’s statements have been met with harsh criticism from some former military colleagues, who accused him of lying and harming the state of Israel and the IDF. However, Ya’alon defended his words, stating that he was using the term “ethnic cleansing” to ring the alarm bells and highlight the alarming situation in Gaza.
Other critics, including human rights organizations and international leaders, have also accused Israel of committing ethnic cleansing in Gaza. Human Rights Watch released a report in October stating that Israel had overseen the forced mass displacement of Palestinians in Gaza in a deliberate and systematic campaign that amounts to a war crime and a crime against humanity.
The International Criminal Court has also issued arrest warrants for Israeli officials, including Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, on suspicion of war crimes, including starvation as a method of warfare and crimes against humanity.
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