Deepening humanitarian crisis in Gaza promptly criticized by ex-Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert
Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has voiced his concerns over the ongoing conflict in Gaza, implying that the war has lost its clear objective and has escalated beyond necessary limits. In an interview with our website on Wednesday, Olmert criticized the intensified Israeli military campaign in the region.
The equation of power in Gaza has reached a critical stage, with thousands of Palestinians now facing malnutrition and the brink of starvation due to an 11-week blockade of humanitarian aid by the Israeli government. The distribution of aid, which has resumed this week, has resulted in chaotic scenes of desperate Palestinians fighting for their basic food supplies, leading to two deaths and several injuries.
"We have destroyed Gaza," Olmert told our website about the gravity of the situation.
Disorder erupted at a new food distribution site in Rafah on Tuesday as families struggled through crowds to obtain vital food supplies, according to the United Nations. One person lost their life, and 47 others were wounded when gunfire was reportedly discharged into the overwhelming crowd of deprived Palestinians seeking nourishment, the UN reported.
Israeli Defense Forces reportedly fired warning shots in the vicinity of the distribution site as people rushed in. The cause of the individual's death remains unidentified.
OlmertReasoning that Israel had every right to retaliate after Hamas' Oct. 2023 attack that killed 1,200 people and abducted 251 hostages, Olmert believes the war has been prolonged excessively. He acknowledges that among the thousands of lives lost in Gaza since the conflict began were terrorists who required punishment; however, he points out that many were innocent civilians.
"We are now almost 18 or 19 months after the beginning of that war," Olmert said. "We have destroyed Gaza. We have killed perhaps more than 50,000 people, of which there were few with. There were terrorists, and that should have been punished by so many who were not to carry on the war."
Olmert's sentiments echo a broader critique of the military campaign and the insufficient international response, emphasizing the necessity to respect human rights and international law in the midst of the devastating conflict.
While Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu maintains that military pressure will help free the remaining hostages, Olmert disagrees. He dismisses Netanyahu's assertions as preposterous, pointing out that they do not align with reality.
Moreover, Olmert has critiqued certain Israeli leaders for their statements about "starving Gaza" and treating all Palestinians as terrorists, labeling such comments as potential war crime statements. He argues that this approach endangers both Palestinian civilians and the 20 Israeli hostages still in Gaza.
It is essential to note that official statistics from the Hamas-run Gaza Ministry of Health report over 53,000 people have been killed in Gaza since Oct. 2023. Although statistics do not distinguish between military and non-military casualties, they indicate that women and children make up a significant portion of the death toll.
- The ongoing conflict in Gaza, as voiced by former Israeli Prime Minister Ehdu Olmert in an interview, has escalated beyond necessary limits, with thousands of Palestinians now facing malnutrition and the brink of starvation due to an 11-week blockade of humanitarian aid by the Israeli government.
- In the midst of the chaotic food distribution sites, video footage shows Palestinians fighting for their basic food supplies, leading to deaths and injuries, as reported by the United Nations.
- Olmert believes that the war in Gaza, which started 18 or 19 months ago, has been prolonged excessively, with perhaps more than 50,000 people killed, most of whom were innocent civilians.
- International politics and the response to the conflict in Gaza have been criticized by Olmert, who emphasizes the necessity to respect human rights and international law in the midst of the devastating conflict.
- Olmert has condemned certain Israeli leaders' comments about "starving Gaza" and treating all Palestinians as terrorists, labeling them as potential war crime statements that endanger both Palestinian civilians and the 20 Israeli hostages still in Gaza.
