黑料社区

LONDON: Israel is 鈥渃ommitting war crimes鈥� in Gaza and 鈥渢housands of innocent Palestinians are being killed,鈥� former Prime Minister Ehud Olmert wrote in an opinion piece for Haaretz newspaper.

Olmert, who served as Israel鈥檚 12th prime minister from 2006 to 2009, accused the current government of 鈥渨aging a war without purpose, without goals or clear planning and with no chances of success.鈥�

He added: 鈥淣ever since its establishment has the state of Israel waged such a war 鈥� The criminal gang headed by (Prime Minister) Benjamin Netanyahu has set a precedent without equal in Israel鈥檚 history in this area, too.鈥� 

Olmert, a former member of Netanyahu鈥檚 Likud party, said the 鈥減ointless victims among the Palestinian population鈥� were reaching 鈥渕onstrous proportions鈥� in recent weeks.

Israeli military operations in Gaza bear no relevance to 鈥渓egitimate war goals,鈥� Olmert added, describing it as a 鈥減rivate political war鈥� that has transformed the Palestinian enclave into a 鈥渉umanitarian disaster area.鈥�

He said he had in the past tried to refute claims that Israel was committing war crimes in Gaza, but 鈥淚鈥檝e been no longer able to do so. What we are doing in Gaza now is a war of devastation: Indiscriminate, limitless, cruel and criminal killing of civilians.鈥�

He added: 鈥淚t鈥檚 the result of government policy 鈥� knowingly, evilly, maliciously, irresponsibly dictated. Yes, Israel is committing war crimes.鈥�

In an interview with the BBC last week, Olmert described the Gaza conflict as 鈥渁 war without a purpose 鈥� a war without a chance of achieving anything that can save the lives of the hostages.鈥�

His remarks follow similar statements by Yair Golan, a prominent politician and former deputy chief of staff of the Israeli army.

Golan told the Kan national broadcaster last week that 鈥渁 sane country does not fight against civilians, does not kill babies as a hobby, and does not give itself the aim of expelling populations.鈥�