A senior Israeli cabinet minister, Itamar Ben-Gvir, provoked international outrage after he has suggested IDF soldiers should open fire on “children” who approach a so-called “yellow line” inside Gaza, remarks critics say amount to a call to target civilians.
Itamar Ben-Gvir, Israel’s national security minister and a leader of the far-right Otzma Yehudit party, was reported in Israeli media to have violated rules of engagement during a heated meeting of ministers.
According to multiple accounts, he asked rhetorically, “What’s wrong with shooting at children riding donkeys?” a phrase that has been widely circulated in regional and international reporting.
The comments relate to a contentious separation in northern Gaza, described by some international outlets as a temporary ceasefire line and marked on the ground with yellow posts.
The line has been the subject of sharp dispute: Israeli officials say it is intended to separate areas controlled by different forces after recent hostilities, while humanitarian agencies warn it is effectively restricting movement and endangering civilians.
Israeli television Channel 14 and other local outlets reported the cabinet exchange in which ministers debated what measures troops should take against people who approach that line; some ministers reportedly mocked restrictions on firing, while others urged caution.
The emergence of the remarks has intensified condemnation from human-rights groups and foreign governments, who say any instruction even to consider firing on children would breach international humanitarian law and accepted rules of engagement.
The Israeli government has faced mounting criticism over the line and broader conduct in Gaza since the recent ceasefire. Aid agencies say civilians are trapped in devastated areas, and UN officials have repeatedly raised the danger posed by insensitive or unlawful measures by Israel that limit civilians’ ability to move for food, water or medical care.
Observers caution that inflammatory language from political leaders can increase the risk of unlawful use of force by troops operating under stress.
Ben-Gvir’s allies argue his comments have been mischaracterised or taken out of context, and some Israeli ministers and officials have defended the need for robust security measures on the borderline.
Yet legal experts and former military officers warn that any policy or directive that tolerates targeting children would amount to a serious breach of international law and Israel’s own rules of engagement, potentially exposing individuals and the state to legal accountability.
The episode adds to diplomatic strains as international partners press Israel to preserve the ceasefire and to allow unfettered humanitarian access. It also comes amid domestic polarisation over the government’s hardline security stance, which critics say is increasingly detached from legal and ethical constraints.
Whether the government will discipline ministers for the comments or clarify the official rules for soldiers remains to be seen; for now the remarks have intensified calls for clarity, restraint and protection of civilians in a fragile post-conflict environment.
Sources: Al Jazeera, The New Arab, Tasnim, The Guardian
