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Yair Golan, leader of the Israeli opposition center-left Democrats party and former Deputy Chief of Staff of the Israeli Defense Forces, sharply condemned the Israeli government’s recent actions in Gaza, warning that the country is becoming a “pariah state.”
In an interview with the Israeli public broadcaster KAN on Tuesday, Golan criticized the government’s intense ground operations in Gaza, as well as its stated goal of displacing Palestinians to the southern part of Gaza and beyond.
“A sane country does not wage war against civilians, does not kill children as a hobby, and does not set population displacement as a goal,” Golan said. “Israel is moving towards becoming a pariah state among nations.”
He described the current government as “full of vengeful, immoral people who are incapable of governing effectively in a crisis,” and warned that such leadership threatens Israel’s very existence.
Golan’s remarks sparked significant reactions from both the ruling party and opposition figures.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu dismissed Golan’s claim that Israel targets children, stating that Israel’s military operations aim to “rescue captive soldiers and defeat Hamas.”
Meanwhile, Yair Lapid, leader of the main opposition party Yesh Atid, condemned Golan’s comments as false and harmful, accusing him of giving “a gift to Israel’s enemies” by suggesting soldiers kill children as a pastime.
Following a cease-fire that took effect on Jan. 19, the Israeli military resumed intense attacks on Gaza on the morning of March 18.
Since the renewal of attacks, over 3,340 Palestinians—primarily women, children, and elderly—have been killed, and 9,357 wounded.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, the death toll in Gaza has reached 53,475 Palestinians, with more than 121,398 injured.
The Israeli military has initiated a plan to expand and solidify its occupation of Gaza. Netanyahu has announced intentions to occupy the entire Gaza Strip.
According to the plan, Gaza’s residents will be forcibly relocated to “concentration camps” in southern Gaza, where Israel will provide humanitarian aid sufficient only for survival.
Israeli ministers have stated their intent to demolish all remaining infrastructure in Gaza and forcibly transfer Palestinians first to the south, then to other countries.
The Israeli government has agreed to allow basic food supplies into Gaza to prevent famine. However, this move has faced opposition from far-right groups, and only five trucks carrying essential food arrived in Gaza on Monday.
On the morning of Tuesday’s Israeli bombardment, at least 50 Palestinians—including 33 children, women, and elderly—were killed.
According to Gaza’s government media office, since Oct. 7, 2023, 57 Palestinians, mostly children, have died of starvation, and approximately 65,000 children face life-threatening conditions.
Approximately 2.4 million people in Gaza require 500 trucks of humanitarian aid and 50 trucks of fuel daily for survival. In 80 days, 44,000 trucks would be needed, but the limited number that have entered covers only 0.02% of this requirement.
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