A retired Israeli general slammed the country’s ongoing military assault on Gaza, warning that Israel’s actions — which have killed and displaced tens of thousands of Palestinians — could make it a “pariah state” in the eyes of the world.
“A sane country does not wage war against civilians, does not kill babies as a pastime, and does not engage in mass population displacement,” said Yair Golan, a former deputy chief of staff for the Israeli army and the head of the country’s left-wing opposition party, in an interview with radio station Reshet Bet.
Israeli airstrikes, and the resulting civilian casualties, have surged in the last week as Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has expressed the goal of taking “full control” of the Gaza Strip.
The latest attacks only add to the staggering toll of the conflict, which has killed 53,000 Palestinians and injured 121,000 others, according to the Gaza Health Ministry. This past week, the United Nations estimated that an additional 14,000 babies could die in just two days due to a dearth of nutrition and medical aid.
Golan, the leader of the country’s Democratic Party, has been an outspoken critic of Netanyahu’s leadership and has urged the Israeli government to seek a long-term ceasefire. He emphasized that Israel could become ostracized globally, much like South Africa was during apartheid.
