Moshe Ya’alon: Israel Turns Soldiers into “War Criminals” as Plans for Gaza War Expansion are “Ethnic Cleansing” and “War Crime”

Occupied Palestine (Quds News Network)- Former Israeli Defense Minister and military Chief Moshe Ya’alon accused Chief of Staff Eyal Zamir of turning soldiers into “war criminals” and condemned recent plans to expand the assault, “conquer” the Gaza Strip, and forcibly displace its population as “ethnic cleansing.”

In an interview with Israel’s Ynet News on Thursday, Ya’alon said Zamir “forces his soldiers to become war criminals.”

Ya’alon commented on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s statement, in which he mentioned 21 captives are still alive, with doubts about three others.

“As someone who knows the details, all the captives could have been released,” said Ya’alon.

“So anyone who says that military pressure will save them is exactly wrong. Now, we have ‘up to 24 captives alive,’ and now it’s 21, and it could get much worse. All of them need to be released now, even if we want to act in Gaza.”

He added, “About conquering the Gaza Strip and relocating the entire population to the Egyptian border. What is that? Call it ethnic cleansing, call it transfer, call it expulsion – it’s a war crime.”

“They’re sending soldiers to commit war crimes and then say the IDF will stay there forever.”

He said, “Smotrich and Ben Gvir don’t want to replace Hamas, they want Israeli military rule and Israeli civil administration. They should say this very clearly – they are going to conquer Gaza and settle it with Jews after they cleanse it with ethnic cleansing. They should say it.”

Ya’alon added, “If what was brought to the Cabinet is the cleansing of the entire population of Gaza up to the border of the strip, as Smotrich and Ben Gvir are saying – you are complicit in a war crime.”

According to Ya’alon, “Everything here is about stalling and keeping this war going, because the end of the war means the end of their tenure. That’s the consideration, and this is happening even with the U.S.”

In December, Ya’alon asserted that Israeli forces are committing “ethnic cleansing” and “war crimes” in northern Gaza, adding they could face lawsuits at the International Criminal Court in The Hague.

“War crimes are being committed. Never has a democratic state faced trial at the International Criminal Court in The Hague for such actions,” he added.