Former Israeli army commander Herzi Halevi has said that more than 200,000 Palestinians have been killed or injured in Israel’s bombardment in Gaza, and that “not once” during the conflict were military operations “inhibited by legal advice”, The Guardian reports.

Halevi stepped down as Israel Defence Forces’ (IDF) chief of staff in March — 17 months into the offensive.

“The retired general told a community meeting in southern Israel earlier this week that more than 10% of Gaza’s 2.2 million population had been killed or injured — ‘more than 200,000 people’,” The Guardian says.

The current official toll is 64,718 Palestinians killed in Gaza and 163,859 injured, since the start of the conflict on Oct 7, 2023, with thousands feared dead under the rubble.

“This isn’t a gentle war. We took the gloves off from the first minute. Sadly not earlier,” Halevi was quoted as saying.