Herzi Halevi, the former chief of staff of the Israeli army, has admitted that Israeli military killed or wounded more than 200,000 Palestinians since Israel's genocide in Gaza began.
Speaking to residents of Ein HaBesor in southern Israel, Halevi said, "More than 10 percent of Gaza's 2.2 million population have been killed or injured — more than 200,000 people."
A recording of his remarks was published by the Ynet news website.
Halevi stepped down from the top military position in March this year after leading the Israeli army for the first 17 months of the genocide.
"This isn't a gentle war. We took the gloves off from the first minute. Sadly not earlier," he said, suggesting that Tel Aviv should have acted more decisively before Hamas' October 2023 blitz on southern Israel's settlements and military sites that were once Arab hamlets and farms.
The figures Halevi cited are close to those reported by the Palestinian Health Ministry, which the Israeli authorities often dismiss.
The ministry currently reports 64,756 Palestinians killed and more than 163,859 wounded since the genocide began, though those figures may be undercounted as a result of the war's logistical constraints.
Thousands more are feared buried beneath rubble.
Experts contend that the actual death toll significantly exceeds what the Gaza authorities have reported, estimating it could be around 200,000.
Israeli air strikes in the last 24 hours alone have reportedly killed at least 65 Palestinians, mostly in Gaza City, many of whom were unable to move south.
Limited legal influence
Halevi also addressed the role of military lawyers during Israel's genocidal campaign in Gaza.
"Not once has anyone restricted me. Not once. Not the military AG [advocate general Yifat Tomer-Yerushalmi] who, by the way, hasn't the authority to restrict me," he said.
He emphasised that legal advice had not influenced operational decisions, a point that contrasts with repeated claims by Israeli officials that military lawyers guide actions to comply with international law.
He also acknowledged the practical role of legal advisers in defending the Israeli military's actions internationally.
"There are legal advisers who say: We will know how to defend this legally in the world, and this is very important for the state of Israel," he said.
Halevi's remarks suggest that while legal counsel exists, its influence on military conduct is limited.
'Rubber stamp' advisers
Human rights lawyers reacted sharply to Haveli's admission.
Michael Sfard, a noted Israeli human rights lawyer, told The Guardian that Halevi's statements "confirm that the legal advisers serve as rubber stamps."
He added, "The generals see them as ‘regular’ advisers whose advice one can adopt or dismiss, not as professional lawyers whose legal positions present the boundaries of what is permissible and what is prohibited."
Halevi's successor and the current Israeli Army chief, Eyal Zamir, has reportedly also disregarded legal advice on civilian displacement in Gaza.
Haaretz reported that military AG had advised postponing expulsion orders for around one million Gaza City residents until southern Gaza could provide sufficient shelter, but that guidance was ignored.
As reported by the newspaper, Israel expects about 1.2 million people in Gaza City to move south, including 700,000 residents who lived there before the war and roughly 500,000 displaced people who had taken refuge in the city.
The Israeli army has neither commented on Halevi's latest remarks about casualty figures in Gaza nor on the legal oversight.
