Israeli media reported that the Israeli government is facing criticism from hardliners following a Channel 12 news report revealing the "transfer" of around 70 orphaned children from Gaza to the West Bank.

It is worth noting that most of the children's parents were killed by "Israel" during its ongoing genocidal and starvation war on the besieged Strip.

Setting things right, it becomes clear that the Israeli hardliners, mainly Israeli Minister Bezalel Smotrich and Israeli occupation Police Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, are not concerned that their government is kidnapping children during a genocide. They perceive the covert "transfer" operation as an "act of mercy."

"Any mercy to the cruel will end up being cruel to the merciful," Smotrich said.

These two hardliners, Smotrich and Ben-Gvir, consistently advocate the belief that Jewish lives hold greater value than those of Arabs. Their controversial stance extends to calling for the wiping out of Palestinian villages and the forced expulsion of Palestinian people.

In further detail, The Times of Israel reported that the Palestinian orphans were "transferred" from the SOS Children’s Village in Gaza to a facility in Beit Lahm at the request of the German embassy. The "evacuation" allegedly occurred due to the cessation of operations at the orphanage.

This covert operation, coordinated by the Security Ministry and the "National Security Council", proceeded without explicit approval from the government’s security cabinet, according to The Times of Israel.

The information available online as of late January indicated that SOS managed an orphanage in Rafah, housing 76 children and youths. SOS claimed, as per The Times of Israel, that its residents were safe, with food, water, and fuel stockpiled, which casts doubt over the Israeli narrative of the shelter ceasing operation, thus necessitating the transfer. 

Israeli soldiers kidnapped infant, other children: Euro-Med

It is worth noting that several media outlets shed light on kidnapping incidents carried out by the invading Israeli forces in Gaza.

Back in January, Euro-Med Human Rights Monitor reported that the Israeli military has kidnapped Palestinian children from the Gaza Strip, as part of an ongoing act of genocide against Gazans since October 7.

The rights group has urged "Israel" to reunite the children with their parents. Expressing concern over the alarming kidnapping of children and the unexplained disappearance of numerous Palestinian detainees from the Strip, Euro-Med Monitor emphasized the need for the international community to fulfill its obligations and exert pressure on "Israel" to guarantee their safe return.

The organization based in Geneva emphasized its grave concern over the details released by Israeli Army Radio on January 1, 2024.

According to the report, Israeli officer Harel Itach, a Givati Brigade commander, kidnapped a Palestinian infant from her family home in Gaza following the killing of her family members. The specific date of the incident was not disclosed, but the organization underscored the significance of taking this information seriously.

After learning about the Israeli officer's death on December 22, 2023, due to injuries sustained in the Gaza war, a close associate of Itach revealed the kidnapping incident. The friend disclosed that the whereabouts of the Palestinian baby remains unknown.

Euro-Med Monitor voiced profound apprehension, expressing fear that this incident involving the officer and the Palestinian infant is not an isolated occurrence. The rights group cited numerous testimonies it has received, indicating a pattern where the Israeli army reportedly detains and relocates Palestinian children without providing information about their whereabouts.

Additionally, Euro-Med Monitor has been receiving distressing reports from numerous Palestinian families who have lost communication with their children. The organization highlighted that these reports predominantly originate from regions experiencing Israeli ground incursions.

Euro-Med Monitor emphasized that the threat of Israeli soldiers forcibly relocating and disappearing children is escalating. This concern is particularly pronounced as hundreds of Palestinian families have reported the disappearance of one or more of their children.