Yair Golan accuses Israel of killing children as a hobby, government denies

Yair Golan described the Israeli government as being “in moral collapse, vengeful, and threatening.” He stated, “A normal state does not wage war against civilians.”

Yair Golan, leader of the Israeli Democrats party and former Deputy Chief of Staff, harshly criticized the attacks in Gaza and the objective of driving Palestinians to southern Gaza and then to other countries, during an interview with state television KAN.

Asserting that the government is “vengeful, full of immoral people, weak,” and constitutes a threat to Israel’s existence, Golan remarked, “A normal state does not wage war against civilians, does not kill children as a hobby, and does not set itself the goal of displacing a people. Israel is progressing towards becoming a pariah state among nations.”

Golan’s statements elicited reactions from both the ruling party and the opposition in Israel.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, responding to Golan’s assertion that “they aim to kill children,” claimed that the attacks on Gaza are intended “to rescue the captive soldiers there and to defeat Hamas.”

Main opposition party Yesh Atid leader Yair Lapid also condemned Golan’s statements, arguing that “saying soldiers kill children for a hobby is a lie and a gift to enemies.”

Ceasefire in Gaza shelved, occupation plan in effect

The Israeli army terminated the ceasefire, which began on January 19, on the morning of March 18 and recommenced intense attacks on Gaza. In these recent assaults, 3,340 Palestinians, predominantly children, women, and the elderly, were killed, and 9,357 individuals were injured.

Since October 7, 2023, the death toll of Palestinians in Gaza has reached 53,475, with 121,398 injured.

Israel, having activated its plan for the permanent occupation of the region following US President Donald Trump’s Gulf tour and intensifying its attacks under the operation named Gideon’s Carts, reportedly plans to confine Palestinians driven to southern Gaza in “concentration camps” and permit only enough aid for their basic survival.

Israeli ministers have announced intentions to demolish everything intact in the Gaza Strip and to relocate Palestinians first to the south and subsequently to other countries.

The Israeli government declared it would permit basic food supplies into Gaza to avert famine. While this measure by the Israeli government met with objections from far-right elements, only five trucks of essential foodstuffs reached Gaza on Monday.