The former chief of Israeli military intelligence, Aharon Haliva, raised a firestorm of criticism when he declared. His latest remarks on the toll in Gaza have prompted a firestorm of controversy. Haliva, who headed up military intelligence on the tragic day of October 7, 2023 when this all happened, essentially confessed. He instituted a policy whereby for every Israeli killed that day, 50 Palestinians would be executed. He called his comments a prerequisite for future Palestinian generations to thrive. They remain largely overlooked and underreported on by the Israeli media at large.
Haliva’s statements come during an especially brutal and ongoing conflict that has left over 21,000 dead. He insisted that more than 50,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza. Such a high civilian toll would be unprecedented, and this figure contradicts Israel’s own narrative of the conflict, leading Israeli officials to reject it as propaganda. He argued that these deaths serve as a vital message for future generations, emphasizing that “for everything that happened on October 7th… 50 Palestinians must die.”
The former intelligence chief went even further by stating, “It does not matter now if they are children,” reflecting a chilling disregard for the civilian toll in the conflict. This chilling claim highlights the serious realities and moral questions of conducting war in urban environments.
Haliva’s organization has been outspoken against Israel’s right-wing government. Here, most pointedly, he has a laser focus on the radical right wing ministers Bezalel Smotrich and Itamar Ben-Gvir. He condemns systemic failures in security and intelligence. He argues that failures in these areas led to the horrific assault on October 7. He underscored the most profound internal critique he faced from a staffer. He was right, it was indeed “lucky” that most of those killed were leftist Israelis, members of the peace movements.
Haliva doesn’t just take an apolitical approach to Palestinian history. He draws attention to the mass expulsion of more than 700,000 Palestinians in the wake of Israel’s founding in 1948, calling this foundational diaspora the Nakba — catastrophe in Arabic. He provocatively suggested that Palestinians “need a Nakba every now and then to feel the price,” indicating a troubling perspective on historical grievances and their implications for current actions.
His comments were broadcast on Israel’s Channel 12 TV, whom his friends convinced to allow him to yammer away virtually unchallenged. This unusual format criticized the lack of accountability and role of the media to report these misleading statements. The backlash following his remarks highlights an ongoing debate within Israel regarding the ethics of military engagement and the humanitarian costs incurred.