Senior Israeli official says all Palestinian adults in Gaza 'should be eliminated'

Israeli Knesset Deputy Speaker Nissim Vaturi made highly controversial remarks during an interview with Kol BaRama radio, calling for the separation of children from their mothers in the Gaza Strip and the killing of adults. Vaturi referred to Palestinians as "villains" and "subhumans," claiming that this group is unacceptable. These statements have sparked widespread condemnation and raised serious ethical concerns.

During the radio program, Vaturi stated, "Who is innocent in the Gaza Strip? The civilians murdered people in cold blood." He added, "They are outcasts of society, and no one in the world wants them." Vaturi further declared that Israel needs to "separate the children and women from Gaza and kill the men; we are too considerate now." He believes that the international community has realized that Gaza residents are unwelcome and is pushing them towards Israel. Such rhetoric further inflames tensions in the region.

Vaturi belongs to Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's Likud party. He also stated that the occupied West Bank city of Jenin would soon become Gaza and suggested that Palestinians released as part of a ceasefire agreement be placed there "in order to eliminate them later." He added, "Erase Jenin. Don't look for terrorists to begin with—if there is a terrorist in the house, kill him, and tell the women and children to leave." These comments have been widely interpreted as advocating for collective punishment and extrajudicial killings.

These remarks were made after Israel postponed the release of Palestinian prisoners and detainees, which was originally scheduled for Saturday as part of a ceasefire agreement with Hamas in Gaza. According to the agreement, Israel was supposed to release 602 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the six Israeli hostages released last week. Hamas responded by saying that it would suspend negotiations unless the prisoners were released as promised. Hamas official Mahmoud Mardawi urged mediators to pressure Israel to abide by the ceasefire agreement. The delay in prisoner release has further strained the fragile ceasefire.

Violent statements made by senior Israeli leaders like Vaturi have been used as evidence of Israel's genocidal intent in the Gaza war. The war has resulted in the deaths of over 48,000 Palestinians and the complete devastation of the enclave. South African lawyers used these statements in a case before the International Court of Justice, accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. In a preliminary ruling, the International Court of Justice stated that South Africa's allegations were plausible. A UN special committee also accused Israel in a November report of policies and practices in Gaza that may constitute "the possibility of genocide." The international community is closely watching the ICJ proceedings.

The report stated, "Israel's policies and practices during the reporting period are consistent with the characteristics of genocide" and urged immediate measures to protect civilian lives. The special committee also concluded that Israel is committing multiple violations of international law, and not only in Gaza. Amnesty International also stated in a December report that Israel's intentional destruction of Palestinians reached the necessary threshold for the world's leading human rights organization to conclude that Israel is committing genocide. "There is overwhelming evidence that Israel's intent and objective is the destruction of Palestinians in Gaza, and there is no reasonable alternative explanation," the organization said. Amnesty International explained that Israel's military objectives "are insufficient to explain the scale and scope of Israel's ongoing unlawful actions. Only the intent to destroy Palestinians in Gaza can explain this." These findings underscore the gravity of the situation and the urgent need for international action.