Leaked audio reveals ex-Israeli military intelligence chief justified mass Palestinian deaths
In the recordings, Haliva is heard saying, “For everything that happened on October 7, for every one person on October 7, 50 Palestinians must die. It doesn’t matter now if they are children.”
Leaked audio recordings broadcast by Israel’s Channel 12 reveal former Israeli military intelligence chief Maj. Gen. Aharon Haliva suggesting that the deaths of tens of thousands of Palestinians in Gaza were “necessary.”
In the recordings, Haliva is heard saying, “For everything that happened on October 7, for every one person on October 7, 50 Palestinians must die. It doesn’t matter now if they are children.”
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He also stated, “The fact that there are already 50,000 dead in Gaza is necessary and required for future generations.”
It is unclear when the remarks were made. Gaza’s death toll surpassed 50,000 in March, according to health authorities in the territory.
Haliva led Israeli military intelligence during the October 7, 2023, Hamas attacks, which killed about 1,200 people and saw 250 others taken hostage. He resigned in April 2024, citing “leadership responsibility,” becoming the first senior Israeli officer to do so.
The leaked conversations, in which the other participant was not identified by Channel 12, also show Haliva criticising Israel’s political leadership and the internal security agency Shin Bet for underestimating Hamas’ ability to launch the assault.
In a statement to Channel 12, Haliva said the comments were made in a “closed forum,” adding, “I can only regret that. These are fragments of partial things, which cannot reflect the full picture.”
International criticism
The release of the audio comes amid ongoing international criticism of Israel’s military campaign in Gaza.
A United Nations report last November said Israel’s actions were consistent with “the characteristics of genocide,” while two Israeli rights groups made similar claims last month.
The Israeli military rejected the allegations, saying they were “entirely unfounded” and that its operations comply with international law.
Global leaders have also expressed concern.
New Zealand Prime Minister Christopher Luxon said last week that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had “lost the plot,” describing Israel’s planned takeover of Gaza City as “utterly unacceptable.”
Denmark’s Prime Minister Mette Frederiksen told the Jyllands-Posten newspaper on Friday that Netanyahu had become “a problem in himself.”
Hamas condemned Haliva’s remarks, saying the recordings confirmed that “crimes against our people are high-level decisions and official policy from the enemy’s political and security leadership.”
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