LONDON — Israel’s “crude and indiscriminate” method of attack in the Israel-Hamas war risks fueling decades of conflict in the Middle East, the U.K.’s former Defense Secretary Ben Wallace warned.
In an op-ed for the Telegraph, Wallace — who led Britain’s Ministry of Defense until August — directly criticized Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for both “missing” the initial October 7 attacks by Hamas and then embarking on “a killing rage” in response.
“What I am saying is Israel needs to stop this crude and indiscriminate method of attack. And it needs to combat Hamas differently,” Wallace wrote.
“Netanyahu’s mistake was to miss the attack in the first place. But if he thinks a killing rage will rectify matters, then he is very wrong,” Wallace added.
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The former U.K. defense chief warned Israel risks losing “international support” and fueling the conflict “for another 50 years” by “radicalizing Muslim youth across the globe.”
Israeli government spokesperson Eylon Levy hit back at Wallace’s “unfortunate language” Monday, insisting Israeli troops are “putting in place unprecedented measures” to avoid killing civilians.
“We think that what will radicalize a new generation is if Hamas gets away with the October 7 massacre,” Levy told the BBC’s Today program.
Wallace’s intervention is a sign of growing pressure on Israel, which has dramatically intensified its attacks on Gaza following Hamas’ deadly assault in October.
In a joint op-ed of their own at the weekend, U.K. Foreign Secretary David Cameron and his German counterpart Annalena Baerbock called for a “sustainable cease-fire” in the conflict — and warned that too many civilians have been killed.
Wallace said he was not calling for a cease-fire, as he believes Hamas is not prepared to declare one. But he urged Israel to change the way it is fighting the conflict.
The U.K. Liberal Democrat MP Layla Moran revealed Saturday that her relatives are among hundreds of civilians trapped in a Gaza City Catholic church targeted by Israeli forces. “I’m now no longer sure they are going to survive until Christmas,” Moran told the BBC.
