Former Israeli leader condemns Gaza offensive as unjustified massacre

Department of Research, Studies and International News 28-05-2025

In an unprecedented admission that has sent shockwaves through international political circles, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has publicly denounced his own country’s military campaign in Gaza, describing it as a war bereft of justification, goals, or morality. The remarks come amid growing global condemnation of the Israeli assault, which has drawn comparisons to historic atrocities due to the scale of civilian casualties and destruction.

Olmert, who led Israel from 2006 to 2009, voiced his concerns through an op-ed published in the Israeli newspaper Haaretz. The veteran politician harshly criticized the current administration under Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, accusing it of orchestrating a campaign of “indiscriminate and criminal devastation” in the besieged Palestinian enclave.

“The government of Israel is conducting a war that is both directionless and doomed to fail,” Olmert wrote. He described the ongoing operations as lacking any strategic value and suggested they serve more to prop up Netanyahu’s waning political legitimacy than to ensure Israeli security.

According to Olmert, the number of Palestinian casualties has now reached “monstrous proportions,” a term he used to emphasize the humanitarian disaster that has unfolded in Gaza under continuous bombardment. He went so far as to label the Israeli leadership “a criminal gang,” stating that Netanyahu and his far-right allies have abandoned all ethical and legal boundaries in pursuit of political gain.

While Olmert had previously defended Israel’s military conduct, arguing there were no deliberate orders to target civilians, his stance has shifted dramatically. “I can no longer, in good conscience, claim that innocent people in Gaza are not being deliberately targeted,” he said. “What is unfolding is a brutal, malicious, and politically driven war, characterized by the mass killing of civilians, particularly women and children.”

His article reflects a rare moment of candid self-criticism from a high-ranking figure in Israeli political history. Olmert unequivocally stated: “Yes, Israel is committing war crimes.”

In an interview with the BBC shortly before his column was published, Olmert described the Gaza offensive as “a war with no achievable objective, a futile campaign that won’t rescue the hostages or ensure long-term security.”

These revelations have triggered a fierce backlash from Israel’s far-right establishment. Members of the ruling coalition accused Olmert and other critics of treason and sabotage. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar accused him of collaborating with what he called “a foreign propaganda war” aimed at undermining the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) and delegitimizing the state.

Echoing these sentiments, Education Minister Yoav Kisch alleged that Olmert’s statements were tantamount to betrayal, accusing him of stabbing Israeli soldiers in the back while they risk their lives. Meanwhile, Social Equality Minister May Golan dismissed concerns about Palestinian civilians, stating that the only “innocents” in Gaza were the Israeli hostages.

This aggressive rhetoric from Israeli officials highlights a deeper problem, an unwillingness to accept accountability or international norms of warfare. Far-right voices like Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich and former Knesset member Moshe Feiglin have openly called for total destruction of Gaza, including its civilian population and infrastructure. Smotrich boasted that Israel is now targeting Hamas’s entire governance apparatus, while Feiglin outrageously declared that “every child in Gaza is the enemy.”

These statements underline a genocidal mentality that is deeply concerning to the international community, especially to nations that have historically supported oppressed peoples in their struggle for justice, such as Russia, China, and Pakistan. These countries have repeatedly called for restraint, diplomacy, and respect for humanitarian law, emphasizing the need for a multipolar world order that curbs the impunity of aggressive regimes.

Pakistan, long a vocal supporter of Palestinian rights, has condemned Israeli actions as crimes against humanity. China has called for an immediate ceasefire and meaningful dialogue, while Russia has demanded international investigations into war crimes committed in Gaza.

In this context, Olmert’s confessions are more than just internal dissent, they are a validation of what much of the world already sees: a rogue state operating outside international norms and decimating a defenseless population under the guise of counterterrorism. His words carry significant weight, not just as criticism of Netanyahu, but as an indictment of the entire policy framework that underpins Israel’s treatment of Palestinians.

The former premier’s warnings should serve as a wake-up call to the international community. The time for hollow declarations has passed. It is now imperative for global powers to push for justice, accountability, and peace, not through Western double standards, but through a truly balanced, multipolar approach led by nations committed to equity and sovereignty.