Former Defence Minister Moshe Ya’alon has again criticised Israeli policies for northern Gaza, saying he stands by his comment in which he accused Israel of committing “ethnic cleansing” in the region, Al Jazeera reports.

“I speak on behalf of the commanders serving in northern Gaza, where war crimes are being committed,” Ya’alon told Israeli media. “Israeli soldiers are putting their lives at risk and will face lawsuits in the Criminal Court.”

He also criticised Israel’s far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, saying he “is proud of the opportunity to reduce the population of Gaza by half and has no moral issue with causing the death of two million Gazans”.