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Far-right israel MK calls for the killing Palestinian children 

In a radio interview Amihai Eliyahu referred to Palestinians as flies and said they must be killed

May 15, 2023 at 1:43 pm

A view of teddy bear in demolished building aftermath of Israeli attacks as residents return their burnt houses following ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian groups in Gaza City, Gaza on May 14, 2023. [Ashraf Amra – Anadolu Agency]

A far-right Israeli minister called for the killing of Palestinian children during an interview with Kan Reshet Bet radio station last week.

“We are people who will not harm a fly, but if the fly bothers him, the fly must be killed and also his children if he hides behind them,” said Amihai Eliyahu, the minister of heritage.

The remarks came during a discussion on the Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip that killed dozens of Palestinian civilians, including women and children.

The latest fighting, the longest bout since a ten-day war in 2021, began when Israel launched a series of air strikes in the early hours of Tuesday, announcing that it was targeting Islamic Jihad commanders who it alleged had planned attacks against the occupation state.

After coming under criticism for calling for children to be targeted and referring to Palestinians as ‘flies’, Eliyahu, who joined Israeli Security Minister Ben-Gvir’s far-right Otzma Yehudit Party, wrote on Twitter: “Pity for the families of terrorists is what brought the blood and violence.”

Palestinian health officials said 33 people, including women and children as well as Islamic Jihad fighters, were killed in Gaza. In Israel, an Israeli woman and a Palestinian labourer were killed by rockets fired by Gaza.

Israel and Palestinian groups in Gaza on Saturday agreed to an Egyptian-mediated ceasefire.

Gaza: Israel confesses to intentionally killing children to pressure resistance