Former Israeli Prime Minister Ehud Olmert said that Gaza is “just a step” in Benjamin Netanyahu’s government’s plan to “cleanse” the West Bank of Palestinians, empty the Al-Aqsa Mosque of Muslims, and annex Palestinian lands to Israel.

In an article in the Israeli newspaper "Haaretz" on Friday, Olmert described Netanyahu's government as a "gang," noting that "the ultimate goal of the extreme right-wing duo, National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir and Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich, is not to occupy the Gaza Strip."

He added: "Even settlement throughout the devastated Strip is not the ultimate goal of a group of hallucinators who seized power in Israel."

He continued: "Gaza is just an introductory chapter, and the platform that this gang wants to build as a foundation on which the real battle they aspire to will take place: the battle of the West Bank and the Temple Mount," referring to Al-Aqsa Mosque.

Olmert pointed out that "the ultimate goal of this gang is to cleanse the West Bank of its Palestinian population, cleanse the Temple Mount of Muslim worshipers, and annex the lands to Israel." He warned, "The path to achieving this goal is filled with blood. Israeli blood in the state and in the lands that Israel has controlled for 57 years, as well as Jewish blood in other places in the world."

He said: "There is also a lot of Palestinian blood, of course, in the (Palestinian) areas, in Jerusalem, and if there is no alternative, also among the Arab citizens of Israel."

He added: "This goal will not be achieved without large-scale violent conflict. Catastrophe. All-out war." Olmert pointed out, "This gang succeeded in the first stage before the uproar and all-out war that they seem to hope will break out here."

Referring to Netanyahu's government, he said: "They have taken control of the government of Israel and made the man who heads it their servant. The possibility that they will dismantle the government and expel the prime minister from running the affairs of state is not strange. It is a process taking place at this very moment, step by step."

Olmert: We are far from complete victory in Gaza

Regarding the war on Gaza, Olmert stated, “It is clear that we are far from complete victory. Such victory is not possible, and even if military action continues for several more months, the price to be paid is not worth seeing a victory that there is no real possibility of achieving.”

He said: "Continuing military action now will drag Israel to Rafah, and this is what they want. Such a step will jeopardize the peace agreement between Israel and Egypt in a tangible and immediate way."

Israeli threats to carry out a ground operation in Rafah, adjacent to the border with Egypt, are escalating, despite mounting regional and international warnings of possible catastrophic repercussions.

He added: "Amidst all this, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided to burn the Temple Mount (Al-Aqsa Mosque)."

He pointed out that Ben Gvir and Smotrich want the reactions to the decision to restrict prayers in Al-Aqsa Mosque during Ramadan to explode the situation in the West Bank, and they also want war on Lebanon.

Last Sunday, Netanyahu agreed to the recommendation of extremist National Security Minister Itamar Ben Gvir, to restrict and limit the access and entry of Palestinians from Jerusalem and the interior (the 1948 territories) to Al-Aqsa Mosque during the month of Ramadan, according to Hebrew media.

Olmert said: “The prime minister is aware of the inevitable consequences resulting from this complete surrender to the extremist cabal that controls his government. He sees, he understands, but he is cooperating.”

He added: “Ultimately, Netanyahu is willing to give up the hostages (Israeli prisoners in Gaza) and undermine the peace agreements with Egypt and Jordan.”

Olmert continued: "He is willing to undermine relations with the United States to the point of causing a clear crisis with the president most committed to Israel's security ever, Joe Biden."

He warned, "Netanyahu realizes that the continuation of this reckless process will lead to Israel's isolation in the international community in a way it has never witnessed before."

Source: (Anatolia, Al-Arabi Al-Jadeed)