Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon has accused Israel of committing war crimes, ethnic cleansing, and seeking to conquer and annex parts of the Gaza Strip. Yaalon criticized the Israeli government for putting IDF soldiers at risk and exposing them to legal action at the International Criminal Court. He specifically mentioned actions against civilians and Hamas fighters in Gaza, suggesting a goal of clearing the area of Arabs for re-establishing Jewish settlements. The IDF denied accusations of ethnic cleansing, stating that they operate according to international law and evacuate civilians for their protection. Yaalon, who served as defense minister during a 2014 war in Gaza, has been a vocal critic of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. Netanyahu’s allies condemned Yaalon’s remarks, calling them lies that harm Israel and its security forces. The International Criminal Court issued arrest warrants for Netanyahu and another former defense minister, alleging crimes against humanity and war crimes in Gaza, which Israel rejected as biased. The ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas has resulted in thousands of casualties and a humanitarian crisis in Gaza. The U.N. has condemned the high number of civilian deaths in Gaza, while Israel’s diplomatic mission has disputed these claims, attributing harm to civilians to Hamas and other terrorist groups. Israeli politicians from various parties have opposed the arrest warrants issued by the ICC.
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