*August 21, 2025*
A leaked audio recording has sparked outrage after former head of Israel’sMilitary Intelligence Directorate, Major General Aharon Haliva, wasreportedly heard justifying the mass killing of Palestinians in Gaza,calling it “necessary and inevitable for future generations.”
According to foreign media reports, the recording was aired on Israel’sChannel 12 News on Friday. In the audio, Haliva is heard saying:
“For every single person who died on October 7, 50 Palestinians shoulddie—even if they are children.”
The former military intelligence chief further added:
“The fact that 50,000 people in Gaza have been killed so far is necessaryand essential for future generations.”
It remains unclear when the conversation was recorded, but reports notethat by March this year, the Palestinian death toll in Gaza had alreadysurpassed 50,000, including more than 18,000 children.
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Haliva also referred to the killings as a form of repeated “Nakba,” stating:
“Every once in a while they [Palestinians] need a Nakba so they can feelthe price.”
The term *Nakba*—Arabic for “catastrophe”—is a historic reference to themass displacement of around 700,000 Palestinians during the creation of thestate of Israel in 1948.
Reacting to the revelations, Hamas said the leaked recording proves thatcrimes against Palestinians are not isolated incidents but rather part ofIsrael’s official state policy.
The leak has intensified international condemnation of Israel’s ongoingmilitary campaign in Gaza, where humanitarian organizations continue towarn of catastrophic civilian casualties and widespread destruction.