Israel is Committing War Crimes in Gaza, says Former PM Ehud Olmert

In a stunning shift from his previous stance, former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert has accused his country of committing war crimes in Gaza. Writing in an opinion piece for the Israeli newspaper Haaretz, Olmert described Israel’s ongoing military campaign as “indiscriminate, limitless, cruel and criminal killing of civilians.”

Olmert, who led Israel between 2006 and 2009, said he had initially rejected accusations of genocide and war crimes, arguing that while “excessive killing happened,” the Israeli government was not targeting civilians deliberately. That view, however, has changed in recent weeks.

This is government policy, suggests Olmert 

According to Olmert, the devastation in Gaza is not the result of battlefield chaos or isolated misconduct by individual soldiers. “We’re not doing this due to loss of control in any specific sector, not due to some disproportionate outburst by some soldiers in some unit,” he wrote. “Rather, it’s the result of government policy – knowingly, evilly, maliciously, irresponsibly dictated. Yes, Israel is committing war crimes.”

Starvation as a weapon of war

Olmert was especially critical of Israel’s deliberate blockade of food and medical supplies into Gaza. He argued that the denial of basic necessities is a clear example of a policy that targets civilians. “Yes, we’ve been denying Gazans food, medicine and basic living needs as part of an explicit policy,” he said.

He accused Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu of trying to blur the lines of responsibility: “Netanyahu, typically, is trying to blur the type of orders he’s been giving, in order to evade legal and criminal responsibility in due course.”

All Gazans are Hamas – a dangerous mindset

Olmert also condemned the dehumanizing rhetoric used by members of Netanyahu’s government. “Some of his lackeys are saying so outright, in public, even with pride: Yes, we will starve out Gaza. Because all Gazans are Hamas, there’s no moral or operational limitation on exterminating them all, over two million people,” he wrote.

A rare voice from within

The article marks a rare moment in Israeli politics — a former prime minister openly accusing his own country of criminal conduct in wartime. As international scrutiny intensifies, Olmert’s comments may add to growing pressure on the Israeli government to explain its actions in Gaza and defend them before both legal bodies and the court of global public opinion.

Olmert’s powerful statement has already drawn attention worldwide and may mark a turning point in the debate over Israel’s ongoing military operations.