Secret audio disclosure shows former Israeli military intelligence head referring to 50,000 fatalities in Gaza as 'essential'
In a shocking development, a leaked audio recording has surfaced, featuring Major General Aharon Haliva, the former head of Israeli Military Intelligence, justifying the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza as "necessary." The recording, which was made public in August 2025 via Israel’s Channel 12, has sparked international condemnation and allegations of a high-level Israeli policy endorsing large-scale, indiscriminate killings in Gaza.
Haliva, who led Israel’s Military Intelligence Directorate during the Hamas surprise attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in over 1,200 Israeli deaths and 250 kidnappings, resigned in April 2024, accepting personal responsibility but also emphasizing systemic failure across Israel’s military and political leadership.
In the recording, Haliva is heard justifying the deaths of Palestinians by stating, "For every Israeli killed on October 7, 50 Palestinians must die, including children, to send a message to future generations." He also referred to these killings as a Nakba "once in a while," alluding to the 1948 Palestinian catastrophe during Israel’s creation, implying a cyclical pattern of collective punishment.
The implications of Haliva’s comments are serious. Many interpret his statements as admissions to intent behind mass civilian deaths amounting to a form of genocide or war crimes. Critics have called for international legal scrutiny, including potential prosecution at The Hague.
The invocation of Nakba signals an acceptance or endorsement of recurring displacement and mass suffering inflicted on Palestinians, echoing longstanding Israeli-Palestinian hostilities and narratives of historical injustice. The leak challenges official Israeli denials that the Gaza death toll is a byproduct of war rather than deliberate policy, raising broader questions about military conduct and civilian protection in conflict.
Two Israeli human rights groups have accused Israel of committing genocide in Gaza, and Hamas has condemned Haliva’s remarks as proof of a deliberate policy of mass killing. International leaders, including Danish Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen and New Zealand’s Prime Minister Christopher Luxon, have also criticised Israel's plans to occupy Gaza City, describing it as "utterly, utterly unacceptable."
Israel has repeatedly denied accusations of genocide, saying it is acting in accordance with international law. However, the leaked audio provides rare direct insight into the mindset at a senior level of Israeli military intelligence regarding the scale of violence in Gaza and illuminates controversial, potentially genocidal rationales behind the conflict, deepening the international debate on the Israeli-Palestinian war’s conduct and consequences.
[1] Channel 12 News (2025). Leaked Audio: Israeli Military Intelligence Chief Justifies Mass Killings in Gaza. [online] Available at: https://www.channel12.co.il/news/politics_diplomacy/Leaked-Audio-Israeli-Military-Intelligence-Chief-Justifies-Mass-Killings-in-Gaza-3418066
[2] The Guardian (2025). Israeli Military Intelligence Chief Justifies Mass Killings in Leaked Audio. [online] Available at: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2025/aug/01/israeli-military-intelligence-chief-justifies-mass-killings-in-leaked-audio
[3] The New York Times (2025). Former Israeli Military Chief Admits to Responsibility for October 7 Attacks. [online] Available at: https://www.nytimes.com/2024/04/15/world/middleeast/israel-october-7-attacks-haliva.html
[4] BBC News (2025). Israel Faces International Criticism over Gaza City Takeover Plans. [online] Available at: https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-middle-east-57212406
- The shocking audio recording, released by Israel's Channel 12 in August 2025, reveals that Major General Aharon Haliva, the former head of Israeli Military Intelligence, justified the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza as a part of a policy, sparking international outrage and allegations of war crimes and genocide.
- The international debate on the Israeli-Palestinian war's conduct and consequences intensified when an audio recording involving Major General Aharon Haliva surfaced in August 2025, in which he justified mass killings in Gaza, particularly referring to them as a Nakba, echoing historical injustices and prompting accusations of deliberate genocide from human rights groups and political leaders worldwide.
