Former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant excoriated former Defense Minister Moshe “Bogie” Ya’alon for claiming that Israel is carrying out “ethnic cleansing” in the northern Gaza Strip.

“Ya’alon’s words are lies that aid our enemies and harm Israel,” Gallant stated on Sunday.

“I saw the IDF soldiers and commanders up close when I led the difficult war against Hamas, Hezbollah, and Iran. The IDF operated according to the highest standards applicable in the complex and difficult war forced on us. Orders and directives were always given in accordance with the law and the spirit of the IDF.”

“I suggest to Ya’alon not to disgrace his security past, learn the facts, retract his statements, and apologize to the IDF soldiers,” Gallant concluded.

In an interview with Democrat TV on Motzei Shabbos, Ya’alon, who also served as an IDF Chief of Staff, said: “We are currently being dragged to occupation, annexation and the carrying out of ethnic cleansing. Look at the northern Gaza, ‘transfer’, call it whatever you want – to settle there – a Jewish yishuv. That’s the issue.”

“We must not be confused because those who want to confuse us are leading us to nothing less than destruction. After all, what is happening there? There is no Beit Lahiya, there is no Beit Hanoun, operations are currently taking place in Jabaliya – they are essentially clearing the area of Arabs.”

(YWN Israel Desk – Jerusalem)