Yair Golan, leader of Israel’s Democratic Party, has sharply criticised his own government for its relentless killing of children in Gaza, describing it as a “hobby” and warning that such actions threaten Israel’s very existence. In a rare public rebuke, Golan stated on Tuesday that a “normal state” neither targets civilians nor treats the deaths of children as a pastime, nor pursues forced displacement as a political objective.

He accused the current Israeli leadership of being driven by vengeance, lacking ethical principles, and being dangerously incompetent—posing a grave risk to the future of Israel itself.

Meanwhile, the Israeli occupation’s military campaign against Gaza enters its 589th day, with the death toll surpassing 53,000 Palestinians, including at least 18,000 children. United Nations reports reveal that more than 950 children have been killed in airstrikes over just the past two months alone.

In addition to the fatalities, approximately 17,000 children have sustained injuries, and over 25,000 are suffering from severe malnutrition. Children represent nearly a third of all casualties in Gaza, marking them as the most severely impacted demographic in this ongoing humanitarian catastrophe.

This stark condemnation from within Israel underscores the brutal reality endured by Gaza’s civilians and highlights deep divisions over the government’s policies of violence and displacement.