Overview

• Former Israeli Defense Minister Moshe Yaalon accused Prime Minister Netanyahu's government of committing war crimes and ethnic cleansing in Gaza during recent military operations.
• Yaalon claims far-right cabinet members aim to displace Palestinians in northern Gaza to re-establish Jewish settlements, 19 years after Israel's withdrawal from the territory.
• The accusations follow the International Criminal Court's issuance of arrest warrants for Netanyahu and ex-Defense Minister Yoav Gallant over alleged war crimes and crimes against humanity in Gaza.
• Israeli officials, including Netanyahu's Likud party, have strongly denied the allegations, calling them baseless and harmful to Israel's international standing.
• The ongoing conflict, sparked by Hamas's October 2023 attack on Israel, has killed over 44,000 people in Gaza, displaced nearly all of its population, and led to severe humanitarian challenges.