In a recent interview, former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon condemned the Israeli government’s plans to “thin” Gaza’s population.
Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon has condemned Israeli officials’ plans to “thin” the population in Gaza, saying “these are not war goals” of a country he wants to live in.
“When Smotrich and Ben Gvir talk about thinning the population so that Gaza is free of Arabs and settling it with Jews – these are not war goals of a country I want to live in,” Ya’alon told the Israeli Hebrew Channel 13 in an interview on Saturday.
“When Smotrich and Ben Gvir talk about thinning the population so that Gaza is free of Arabs and settling it with Jews, these are not the war goals of a country I want to live in.”
Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon has criticized Israeli officials’ plans to “thin”… pic.twitter.com/fiItd2jv05
— Middle East Eye (@MiddleEastEye) March 16, 2025
During the interview, Ya’alon also said he expected the Israeli government “not to send our soldiers to kill infants” in Gaza.
“I don’t accept that, revenge is not a war plan,” Ya’alon said, adding: “I expect the State of Israel not to send soldiers to kill babies or women”.
‘Ethnic Cleansing’
In November last year, the former defense minister made headlines when he said “We are being dragged into annexation and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip.”
“The path we are currently being led down involves conquering, annexing, and ethnic cleansing,” Ya’alon added in the interview with another Hebrew Channel DemocratTV, cited by the Jerusalem Post.
The X Israeli minister of defense Moshe ” Bogie ” Ya’alon said Israel sends its soldiers to kill Palestinian infants and women in Gaza and protested the calls of Israeli ministers to ethnically cleanse Gaza. pic.twitter.com/m5ycDBIsGX
— Mustafa Barghouti @Mustafa_Barghouti (@MustafaBarghou1) March 16, 2025
Asked whether he “really” thought that “we’re heading in that direction?” the former minister responded: “Why say ‘heading’? What’s happening there right now? Beit Lahiya is gone, Beit Hanoun is gone. Operations are underway in Jabalya, essentially clearing the area of Arabs.”
Remarks Rejected
Israeli President Isaac Herzog condemned his statements calling it “entirely disconnected from reality,” adding “we repel blood libels against us, including claims of genocide or ethnic cleansing allegedly carried out by the IDF (Israeli Army – PC).”
Herzog said Ya’alon’s remarks were “outright lies” as Israeli soldiers “do not murder, and they do not carry out ethnic cleansing. Period,” the Jerusalem Post reported.
Former Defense Minister Moshe Ya’alon’s admits that the IOF was ethnically cleansing Gaza.#Trump #IDF pic.twitter.com/Ya0qGlnRFM
— Apartheid Review (@ApartheidReview) December 3, 2024
The Israeli army also rejected Ya’alon’s statements saying it “acts in accordance with international law and evacuates a population in accordance with the operational need and temporarily, for its protection.”
“The IDF rejects the serious claims of ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip, which harm the IDF and its soldiers,” an army spokesman said.
Earlier in April, he also reportedly slammed MKs Benny Gantz and Gadi Eisenkot, who were war cabinet members at the time, the Jerusalem Post reported.
“Half a year into a crisis with no end, when the only accomplishment of this government of messianists, draft-dodgers, and crooks is its own survival (thanks to you) – it’s time for soul-searching,” the report quotes him as having written in a message to them.
Netanyahu ‘Stalling’ Ceasefire Deal
Earlier on Saturday, Ya’alon accused Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of stalling the second phase of the ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal with Hamas to appease far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, the Anadolu news agency reported.
In a statement, Ya’alon reportedly said Netanyahu “is delaying the implementation of the second phase of the agreement with Hamas to prevent Smotrich from dismantling his coalition, which is essential to keeping Netanyahu in power.”
He also said Smotrich preferred “resuming military operations in Gaza over proceeding with negotiations, even if it means abandoning Israeli captives,” the report added.
The former minister warned that the finance minister is using coalition threats to pressure Netanyahu into rejecting further negotiations with Hamas.
The 42-day first phase of the truce expired on March 2 following the release of Israeli captives and hundreds of Palestinian detainees in exchange.
US Officials ‘Frustrated’
The second phase, which is meant to negotiate a permanent end to the fighting in Gaza, including the return of all remaining captives and the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the territory, is yet to begin.
Ya’alon said US officials have grown “frustrated” with Netanyahu’s stalling tactics and have begun direct negotiations with Hamas, according to the report.
“The Americans are now working on securing the release of hostages with US citizenship,” Ya’alon said, suggesting Washington is bypassing Israeli leadership to advance the negotiations.
Ya’alon called for Netanyahu’s removal, describing his government as “corrupt” and blaming it for prolonging the captive crisis, the report added.
(PC, Anadolu, QNN)
Killing women, children, youth and elderly that fail to be too scare, by Israel atrocities, to flee Gaza&WestBank is absolutely the number one siege&war goal of this current Israeli leaders.
Making the land unhabitable for those that survive and remain is the other side of the kill them off coin.
Broadcasted war goals by the wanted crime minister are just gimmicks, the real aims are not hidden but open secret.
Our creator is not unaware of aims and actions of his creations.
Israelis govern by a wanted war criminal do have a choice. Either stick with him or stay away from him.