Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's allies kickstarted a major wave of backlash directed at former Security Minister Moshe Ya'alon, who recently, and in an unusual move from Israeli security ranks, accused the current occupation government of war crimes and ethnic cleansing in the Gaza Strip.

Israeli officials were quick to accuse Ya'alon of encouraging and bolstering "Israel's" adversaries, claiming he was not a credible source for criticism. 

"Ya'alon already lost his way a really long time ago," Netanyahu's Likud party stated, further describing his remarks as a "prize" for the International Criminal Court and "Israel's" adversaries.

The Likud party, in an attempt to deflect and discredit Ya'alon's statements, claimed once more that it was "fighting back against a murderous terrorist group" following Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on October 7.

Sacked Security Minister Yoav Gallant, who currently faces an arrest warrant issued against him by the ICC, echoed Likud's claims, and said the former minister's remarks were "a lie that aids our enemy and harms Israel."

In a social media post, Gallant stated that the Israeli military operated under the highest standards applicable in the challenging and complex war that was forced upon us, claiming that all instructions and directives were consistently issued in compliance with the law.

דברי יעלון הם שקר המסייע לאויבנו ופוגע בישראל.

ראיתי מקרוב את לוחמי ומפקדי צה״ל שעה שהובלתי את המלחמה הקשה בחמאס, בחיזבללה ובאיראן - צה״ל פעל בהתאם לאמות המידה הגבוהות ביותר הניתנות ליישום במלחמה המורכבת והקשה שנכפתה עלינו. ההנחיות והפקודות ניתנו תמיד בהתאם לחוק ולרוח צה״ל.…

— יואב גלנט - Yoav Gallant (@yoavgallant) December 1, 2024

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The Spoken Truth 

Ya'alon, who served as chief of staff during the Second Intifada and as Netanyahu’s security minister during the 2014 Gaza war, has since distanced himself from the Prime Minister, officially breaking ties in 2016. Speaking at an event on Saturday, he strongly criticized Netanyahu’s government for its handling of the situation in Gaza.

Speaking on Democrat TV, Ya'alon asked, "Who is for separation (from the Palestinian territories)? This has nothing to do with the right or left. Separation means a state that is not bi-national, not an apartheid state, and perhaps, according to the direction they are leading us now, heading toward occupation, annexation, and ethnic cleansing."

He described the situation in northern Gaza, saying, "Look at what’s happening in the northern Gaza Strip. Transfer, call it whatever you want, and Jewish settlement – that is the issue. Look at the polls. 70% in all areas, more or less. Two-thirds of the Israeli public supports the first way, i.e., a Jewish democratic liberal state and separation. Therefore, we cannot afford to make a mistake."

He added, "Those who want us to make a mistake are leading us to destruction, and nothing less than that. (Did you say we are heading toward ethnic cleansing in Gaza?) Why are we heading there? What’s happening there? There is no Beit Lahia, no Beit Hanoun, and now they are working in Jabalia, and in reality, they are cleansing the area of Arabs."

"The path they’re dragging us down is to occupy, annex, and ethnically cleanse — look at the northern strip," he said, further slamming the possibility of building settlements in the Gaza Strip, a plot supported by far-right and extremist Israeli officials. 

Later on Sunday, Ya'alon spoke to the Reshet Bet radio station to further blast Netanyahu's government and its conduct, this time highlighting the legal impact the genocide in Gaza has had on Israeli officials. 

Ya'alon accused Netanyahu of exposing officials and IOF commanders to possible legal prosecution, particularly at the International Criminal Court (ICC), posing significant risks to their lives. 

He specifically revealed that military commanders deployed in the northern Gaza Strip have reached out to him, "expressing fear about what's happening there." 

Read more: Ethnic cleansing plan underway in north Gaza, Israeli soldiers reveal