The leader of an opposition party in Israel has said the country is “becoming a pariah state” and is “killing babies as a hobby.”
Yair Golan, the leader of Israel’s Democrats party, said that Israel’s actions in Gaza risk the country becoming an “outcast among nations” during an interview with Israeli public radio on Monday.
He said: “A sane country doesn’t engage in fighting against civilians, doesn’t kill babies as a hobby and doesn’t set for itself the goals of expelling a population.”
Golan’s comments mark a rare instance of a voice within Israel criticising their actions in Gaza and the toll on Palestinians.
The Independent reports that criticism like Golan’s “has been almost unheard” in Israel since the conflict started.
In response to Golan’s comments, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said the MP had hit a “new low.”
He accused the retired general of “trumpeting the most despicable antisemitic blood libels” against Israel Defense Forces (IDF) soldiers.
“The IDF is the most moral army in the world, and our soldiers are fighting a battle for our very existence,” he wrote on X.
In recent weeks, international condemnation has grown towards Israel following their 11-week blockade on all aid into Gaza, creating a humanitarian catastrophe.
On Monday, the UK, France and Canada released a joint statement calling for Israel to change course in Gaza, accusing the country of “egregious actions.”
Leaders Keir Starmer, Emmanuel Macron, and Mark Carney said the level of suffering in Gaza was “intolerable” and warned they would “take further concrete actions” against Israel should their military operations continue and the blockade not be fully lifted.
The statement added: “We have always supported Israel’s right to defend Israelis against terrorism. But this escalation is wholly disproportionate.”
On Tuesday, the United Nations’s humanitarian chief said 14,000 babies could die within the next 48 hours unless aid is allowed in to Gaza.
The UN has said it has received permission from Israel for around 100 lorries to enter Gaza. However, aid organisation the International Rescue Committee said the aid being allowed in “barely scratches the surface” of what’s needed.